Burns are among the most serious injuries that a person can suffer in a work-related accident.
Burn injuries cause immense pain and permanent disfigurement. Each year, thousands of workers suffer burns in their workplace. Injured workers have to endure tremendous pain, go through prolonged medical treatment, and take extended time off work for recovery. Burns often leave behind scars that have serious physical, emotional, and psychological impact. Work-related accidents can cause severe thermal burns. These burns are caused when the skin comes in direct contact with heated objects. Thermal burns are classified into three types.
Flashes
Flashes are burns that occur when there is an explosion of natural gas, propane, gasoline, or some other type of flammable liquid. The heat is extremely intense and lasts for only a brief time period. In most cases, the person’s clothing is sufficient to protect the skin from burns unless the clothing catches fire. Most flash burns affect a degree burns. The burns are extremely painful as they may involve injury to a number of nerves and may become infected.
Flames
According to the American Burn Association, around 43 percent of burn injuries are caused by open flames. The injury occurs when a person experiences prolonged exposure to intense heat. At workplaces, these injuries are often caused by fires resulting from improper handling of flammable liquids. Burn injuries can also occur in work-related motor vehicle accidents, if the vehicle catches fire from the impact of the collision.
No matter how work-related burns occur, the effects are often deadly. The victim may suffer first-degree or second-degree burns depending on the length of exposure to the flames. In third-degree burns, all layers of the skin are damaged and there may be some damage to the internal organs as well. The burns may also affect a large part of the body, which can be fatal.
Contact Burns
Contact burns occur when skin comes into direct contact with hot glass, coal, metal, or plastic. Restaurant workers are prone to these types of injuries, because they work around hot metal utensils and cooking stoves that are extremely hot. These burns are very deep and extremely painful; however, they are often confined to a small area of the body.
Workers’ Compensation for Thermal Burns
Thermal burns often require extensive treatment and time off from work to recover. The burns may leave permanent scars or disfigurement. If you have suffered burns at the workplace, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. If you have suffered work-related burns that have caused permanent disability, scarring, or disfigurement, consult a St. Louis injured at work lawyer to ensure that you receive adequate compensation. Call The Law Office of James M. Hoffmann at (314) 361-4300 for a free consultation.