If you or a loved one suffers a burn injury at work, it can cause various economic and other problems for you and your family. Most Atlanta workers get burn injuries while working do qualify for workers’ compensation benefits and should talk to an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer to find out how to properly file their claim.
What Types of Burn Injuries Happen in Atlanta Workplaces?
While at work in Atlanta, there are many ways you could suffer a burn injury which include thermal, electrical, and chemical. If you work in an industrial or manufacturing job in Atlanta, you more than likely come into contact with hazardous materials and machinery that could cause you to be burned.
The most common burns are characterized by:
- Thermal Burns: If you are injured by exposure to steam, flash, hot liquids over 115 degrees, or flames, these would be considered thermal burns. Additionally, contact burns with surfaces that are hot can be quite deep.
- Electrical Burns: As you know, electricity will follow the path of least resistance, and it’s likely that you could be injured as AC or DC current travels through your body tissues. External and internal burns can result from electricity and may be classified as thermal burns if at extremely high temperatures.
- Radiological Burns: A radiological burn is caused by being exposed to alpha, beta, or gamma forms of radiation. These types of burns are not common, but when they occur, you will need some type of decontamination to stop your burn injury from becoming worse.
- Chemical Burns: Chemical burns are normally caused by a strong acid or alkali substance. In addition, chemical burns can damage your skin with or without heat. What causes chemical burns to be very serious and severe is that they can continue to cause damage until the chemical is inactivated or washed away completely.
With these types of burns medical attention is needed immediately because they can affect the inside of your body even if your skin doesn’t appear to be damaged.
What Is the Classification of Burn Severity?
Burns are classified as being first, second, and third degrees. The third degree is the most severe. While it’s possible to be burned to a degree higher than the third degree, you probably wouldn’t survive it.
- First Degree Burns: These are generally superficial, which means they will only affect the outer layer of your skin such as a severe sunburn. They can be painful. Using an antibiotic ointment and pain reliever should bring you some relief.
- Second Degree Burns: A second degree burn occurs if the burn reaches more than just the top layer of your skin. They can blister and can be either red or white. Second degree burns should be kept clean and bandaged in a proper manner.
- Third Degree Burns: A third degree burn will go through all the layers of your skin to the tissues below. These are the most severe type of burns, and generally are not painful because your nerves have been damaged. You should never treat a third degree burn at home, but rather seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Who Is Most At Risk for Workplace Burns in Atlanta?
Almost any type of worker could be burned while at work. However, if you work in a field that involve cooking, high temperature material or equipment, or chemicals that are flammable, you run a higher risk of being burned.
People such as firefighters, restaurant workers, plant and manufacturing employees, electricians, and laboratory researchers all would be exposed to being burned on a daily basis.
Do I Need An Atlanta Workers’ Compensation Attorney?
Thousands of Atlanta workers are at a high risk of being burned at their workplace every day. If you are an Atlanta worker who has been burned while at work, you may require assistance to file your workers’ compensation claim, which means you need the help of a qualified Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer.
Please contact the Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyers at the Gearhart Law Group so you can talk to a skilled and experienced lawyer who will outline your legal options.
