What is a chemical burn?

Many work environments involve the use of chemicals. These may be hazardous materials that are obviously dangerous, but many times, they are substances that you may use at home or in other settings. You might become relaxed when using them and forget to follow safety protocols.

When this happens, you expose yourself to a potential chemical burn. This type of injury occurs when chemicals damage your skin.

Presentation of symptoms

Some chemical burns will be clear because they cause a lot of pain right away as soon as your skin comes in contact with the substance. They may cause blistering, redness, swelling and even skin loss right after exposure.

Sometimes, though, chemicals have a delayed reaction. You may not notice anything is wrong for hours later. While they may not have an immediate indication of injury, these situations can also be just as severe and lead to those serious side effects.

Minor to severe burns

Minor burns usually only need first aid to take care of them. More severe burns will require medical care at a hospital. You will know if a burn is severe because it will damage multiple layers of skin, cover a large area or lead to shock. Regardless of the severity of the injury, you should always try to rinse the exposed areas with water and remove any clothing that has come in contact with the chemical.

Not every chemical burn will be severe, but all chemical burns require some type of treatment to help prevent them from becoming worse or leading to additional symptoms.