Workers expect to be relatively safe when they’re on the job. Yet, every 99 minutes in 2023, someone in the U.S. died while working. That’s just work-related deaths. If you look at deaths alone, the statistics show the following percentages.
- Transportation incidents – 36.8%
- Falls, slips, and trips – 35.4%
- Blows from equipment or objects – 10.9%
- Overexertion – 7.3%
- Occupational exposures – 5.9%
- Homicides – 3.2%
Looking at just occupational exposures. OSHA reports that there were more than 1.3 million reported workplace injuries in 2024. Of them, there were 30,000 respiratory conditions and 6,600 skin conditions. Those injuries are often tied to exposure to chemicals, dust, fumes, smoke, and other particulates.
The Three Main Types of Occupational Exposures and How to Handle Them
Occupational exposures are defined as “contact with a potentially harmful physical, chemical, or biological agent while working.”
- A farmer breathes in mold, mildew, and composting chicken droppings while cleaning the coop.
- A hotel’s cleaner could accidentally mix bleach and ammonia cleaners and breathe in the resulting gas.
- A less experienced firefighter gets trapped while fighting a fire and breathes in too much smoke.
- An auto mechanic is changing a fuel line and gets gasoline in the mouth.
- An HVAC tech might breathe in carbon build-up or carbon monoxide while cleaning or repairing a furnace.
All of those are examples of different types of occupational exposures. Knowing the three main types is important.
1. Exposures to Chemical Hazards and Toxic Substances
Exposure to chemical hazards and toxic substances in the workplace can trigger both health and physical issues. Health hazards range from skin and eye irritation to physical issues like fires or explosions that lead to burns.
Every state’s OSHA has acceptable limits that workplaces need to follow. California has the largest list of permissible exposure limits (PELs). This list is extensive, but some of the most common ones are:
- Ammonia – 25 ppm
- Asbestos – 0.1 f/cm³
- Carbon monoxide – 25 ppm
- Chlorine – 0.5 ppm (ST) 1 ppm
- Nicotine – 0.075 ppm
- Plaster of Paris (dust) – 10 mg/m³
- Propane – 1,000 ppm
This is a very small sample. Chemicals and dust from many products used in cleaning, construction, home remodeling, HVAC, landscaping, manufacturing, and even pottery use these items every day. They’re allowed in small amounts, but anything more than that can impact a worker’s health.
How it’s treated depends on the chemical or substance and how it affects the worker. Getting a chemical in your eye requires a different treatment than if some splashed in your mouth.
What’s important is to get away from the source of the exposure. Take off any contaminated clothing and accessories. Rinse affected skin for at least 15 minutes and see if a skin rash appears.
The incident must be reported to OSHA. Workers need to see a doctor if there are minor, localized symptoms. If you go to the doctor, bring the chemical or product’s Safety Data Sheet. It’s important for the doctor to know exactly what the burns or irritation are from so that the appropriate treatment can be given.
2. Inhalation of Fumes and Smoke
Another type of occupational exposure comes from the inhalation of fumes and smoke. It can follow a chemical exposure, such as the earlier example where a hotel cleaner mixes bleach and ammonia, not realizing it’s dangerous because the combination produces poisonous chloramine gas.
Other situations where fumes are inhaled are:
- Fueling – People who work with gas, diesel, or kerosene often breathe the fumes while filling up a tank or trunk. Overexposure can trigger dizziness, headaches, and respiratory problems.
- Landscaping – Chemicals like insecticides and fertilizers have toxic substances like aluminum phosphide or methyl bromide.
- Painting – Spray paints, paint thinners, and some types of paint have volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause respiratory issues.
- Welding – Fumes from welding can contain carbon monoxide, metal oxides, and nitrogen oxides.
Smoke from a fire or fumes from something like carbon monoxide are some of the exposures that may occur while at work. If this happens, it’s important that the worker goes to a source of fresh air immediately. It might be another room, but it’s even better to go outside.
Symptoms range from mild coughing and a scratchy, dry throat to a headache. An urgent care doctor can treat mild symptoms. If symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion, or coughing up blood occur, go to the ER.
When you go to the doctor, expect blood tests and measurements of your blood oxygen levels. If they’re low, oxygen treatments help increase them.
3. Inhalation of Dust and Particulates
Asbestos, coal dust, silica, wood dust, and other particulates can irritate your throat and lungs, but long-term exposure can cause serious health issues. Occupational asthma is a form of asthma where prolonged exposure to a dust or particulate damages the airways and lungs and triggers inflammation that closes the airway.
It can be even more dangerous. Asbestos is a carcinogen that’s a leading cause of larynx, lung, and ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, and other chronic respiratory illnesses. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 200,000 deaths occur every year that are linked to asbestos exposure. Seven of 10 deaths are related to workplace exposures.
Dust and particulates can be dangerous when inhaled. If a worker is exposed, moving to fresh air is important. Rinsing out the mouth and nose is also important. Having saline solution and a neti pot helps get as much dust out of the sinuses as possible.
Workers should go to urgent care for persistent coughing and wheezing. If asthma attacks occur, it’s also important to see a doctor.
When to Go to Urgent Care Instead of the ER
Life and death emergencies need to be handled at the hospital. For severe chemical burns, inhalation of toxic inhalants or smoke, chest pain, seizures, or difficulty breathing that worsens or doesn’t go away, workers should go to the emergency department at the nearest hospital.
If you’re not certain where to go, urgent care is here to help. Call our office for guidance. Premium Urgent Care helps with many other occupational exposures. Our doctors examine and treat:
- Minor burns
- Minor eye irritation
- Puncture wounds
- Respiratory problems
- Skin rashes
Premium Urgent Care’s doctors perform eye exams and flush out irritants, too. Many urgent health needs are quickly addressed at one of our total health clinics by simply booking an appointment today. If our doctors feel it’s better to go to the hospital, you’ll know, and doctors communicate with the ER to ensure your health needs are quickly addressed.