# Check out my knarly chemical burn from my job



## Flemmings (Jul 22, 2015)

I work at a battery recycling plant. Got exposed to Potassium Hydroxide from a Nickel-Cadmium storage battery. I kind of want to quit now. this is the 4th and most severe time i've been burned there. Equivalent to a 2nd degree burn, all that black is dead tissue.


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## Tude (Jul 22, 2015)

ooooo not good! That can get infected! What are you using on it?


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## Flemmings (Jul 22, 2015)

Well, I spent 4 hours under a faucet in the E.R. because my skin ph was 10 when I got there. they ended up using vinegar on the wound to balance out the ph. They gave me a prescription for silvadene burn cream and some kind of antibiotic cream.


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## Tude (Jul 22, 2015)

ohhhh good. but dam that must hurt  Hope it gets better soon!


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## Kal (Jul 22, 2015)

OUCH!!!!!!!!


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## lone wolf (Jul 22, 2015)

4th time?... hope that job pays well, injuries like that never really go away. friend of mine messed up his legs working at a golf course. nobody told him the danger of the chemicals they sprayed on the lawn. so naturally he wore shorts and now pays the price many years later.


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## milkhauler (Jul 22, 2015)

Dayuum! At least ur arm is still attached. I knew another trucker who was unloading a pneumatic taker full of lye at concrete plant. The hose blew and he was powdered feom head to toe in lye. He survived but looks like a zombie. I remember seeing his er pics. Some of his fingers had bones showing. The rest of his body looked like he was boiled in water. He has one of those morphine pumps going direct to his body. [emoji51]


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## Kim Chee (Jul 22, 2015)

How long were you in contact with the chemical before you began neutralizing it?



milkhauler said:


> The hose blew and he was powdered feom head to toe in lye. He survived but looks like a zombie. I remember seeing his er pics. Some of his fingers had bones showing. The rest of his body looked like he was boiled in water.



Oh, shit!

Be careful, everybody. Very careful.


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## dirty andy (Jul 22, 2015)

I will never bitch about my frequent oil burns from the fryers and flat top at work again. Stay strong my man, chemical burns injuries and disrespect by the bosses, that's the fate of the working class.


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## EphemeralStick (Jul 22, 2015)

Excuse me for a moment...
*large inhale*
AHHHHHHHHHHHMYGODSWHATTHESHITTACOHOLYFREAKINGSHITSNACKSWHATTHEFLYINGFUCKAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Ahem.

Looks a little painful


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## Matt Derrick (Jul 22, 2015)

damn, there's gotta be some kind of worker's comp for that right?


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## Andrea Van Scoyoc (Jul 22, 2015)

OMG, that's horrible!

I won't complain about the dog bites I get at my job, anymore!!!

:ldman::


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## Deleted member 125 (Jul 22, 2015)

...you might wanna hit that with a dab of ointment dude. 

but seriously that looks gnarly as fuck.


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## Kim Chee (Jul 22, 2015)

cantcureherpes said:


> ...you might wanna hit that with a dab of ointment dude.
> 
> but seriously that looks gnarly as fuck.



Sounds like he's following appropriate protocol.

Er...or are you trollin'?


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## Odin (Jul 23, 2015)

I've come to the conclusion recently I'm not gonna work in any environment that harms me physically or mentally. 

I mean I know we all have choices and do what we gotta do. 
But the heck with getting injured over a paycheck. 
I don't know what your place is like... but you should be provided with safety gear. 
Rubber gloves or coat and face mask or something. 

I know a lot of workplaces get away with shit... but I've gotten belligerent with direct supervisors over safety gear before.




milkhauler said:


> I knew another trucker who was unloading a pneumatic taker full of lye at concrete plant. The hose blew and he was powdered feom head to toe in lye.



That seems to be typical with heavy equipment. Damn companies and owners won't keep up with regular maintenance and or buy parts then they fail creating potential and dangerous shit. 

I hope he took his employer to the cleaners.


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## Flemmings (Jul 23, 2015)

7xMichael said:


> How long were you in contact with the chemical before you began neutralizing it?



Probably between 30 and 45 minutes. We wear a lot of protection and I didn't feel it burning me. I didn't notice it until I was deconing out for lunch and a coworker said "whats that?" I looked down and seen black and ran to the first aid station.



Matt Derrick said:


> damn, there's gotta be some kind of worker's comp for that right?



Only thing workers comp is going to do is pay for the medical expenses. So no free cash. 



Andrea Van Scoyoc said:


> OMG, that's horrible!
> I won't complain about the dog bites I get at my job, anymore!!!
> :ldman::



Hey, Dog bites can be very serious too. Good luck and be safe.



Odin said:


> I've come to the conclusion recently I'm not gonna work in any environment that harms me physically or mentally.
> 
> I mean I know we all have choices and do what we gotta do.
> But the heck with getting injured over a paycheck.
> ...



This company is very safety oriented. typical nicad area uniform is

2x Gloves mates
4x Vinyl Gloves
2x Tyvek sleeves
2x Tyvek hook
1x flame retardant coveralls
1x Full face respirator with p-100 filters
1x Full body plastic suit /apron thing....
2x Heavy duty chemical gloves
2x hearing protection

So we're well protected, but some of the batteries have sharp metal pieces after we break them open that can cut open the PPE. And since you're covered in gallons of sweat it can be hard to notice exposures unless you can feel it burning you. Which some people can't, like me.


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## Kim Chee (Jul 23, 2015)

I hope it at least pays well enough.

Heal well!


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## Kim Chee (Jul 24, 2015)

Lielanthris said:


> ?..And since you're covered in gallons of sweat it can be hard to notice exposures unless you can feel it burning you. Which some people can't, like me.



Soooo...you were hired by a company to perform a hazardous job and they did no testing to see if you could detect (feel) exposure?

I think you should at least get workers comp and possibly unemployment if they cannot offer you work not handling that chemical. 

Sounds like you have already decide to move on though...

A lawyer may be able to help them with their problem.


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## Odin (Jul 24, 2015)

This can be such a tough part of employment to navigate. 
The whole safety and legal part of it. 

Specially if you have ever worked for a huge multinational conglomerate. (raises hand)

They are holding all the cards and if you don't have your research and a lawyer on retainer and some influence it difficult. 

I've seen an older employee get away with all kinds of shit. All because he had a wife that worked for a prominent lawyer. So intimidating the immediate supervisory structure was easy for him until he was ready to retire.

Any serious full time employment in my future... (haha... yea as if... but who knows) I will deff make more of an effort to cross all my t's and dot all my i's on my rights and protections.) 

(all the time I spent riding shit equipment with smoking diesel engines could not have been good... though I had an understanding with my super... I could call him a fucking cocksucker and he would not complain as I got the job done.) 

LOL


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