Burn Injuries On the Job

A wide range of Florida workplaces can put employees at risk of serious burn injuries. Depending upon the degree of the burn and the area of the body affected, burns can be temporarily and even permanently debilitating. With the worst burn injuries, the injuries can be fatal. What do South Florida workers need to consider when it comes to burn injuries on the job? Our West Palm Beach workers’ compensation attorneys can provide you with more information.

What Are Burn Injuries? 

A burn, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a type of “tissue damage that results from heat, overexposure to the sun or other radiation, or chemical or electrical contact.” The National Center for Biotechnology Information reports that a large number of workplace injuries are thermal, chemical, or electrical, and reducing fire risks on the job can limit the likelihood of a burn injury.

In general, burns are classified according to severity, with 1st-degree burns being the least severe, 2nd-degree burns being more severe, and 3rd-degree burns being the most severe and causing destruction to nerves.

Jobs with Burn Injury Risks 

Depending upon what you are doing at work, nearly any place of employment can have burn injury risks. Indeed, even an office job can have burn injury risks when employees are making tea or coffee in the kitchen, or heating food. Yet certain jobs tend to have greater burn injury risks than others. The following are examples of some of the kinds of work that are most commonly associated with burn injuries:

• Workers in food service industries, including servers, chefs, and cooks;
• Electricians;
• Landscapers, particularly those outdoors in South Florida;
• Construction workers;
• Custodians, especially when it comes to chemical burns; and
• Mechanics.

This is not an all-inclusive list, and to be sure, a work-related burn injury can happen in nearly any job. Whether you suffered a burn injury in a job where these specific kinds of injuries are common, or your burn occurred in a less likely environment, you may be eligible to obtain workers’ compensation coverage. Do not hesitate to seek advice from a lawyer about your options, and be sure to learn about the requirements for coverage under the Florida workers’ compensation system. Most importantly, report the burn injury to your employer as soon as possible (but do not wait any longer than 30 days from the date the injury occurred), and see a health care provider as soon as possible.

Contact a West Palm Beach Workers’ Compensation Lawyer 

Burn injuries can range very widely in terms of severity, and they can have vastly different effects depending upon the degree of the burn and the area of the body where the burn occurred. In many cases, work-related burn injuries are extremely serious, and it is critical for injured employees to seek compensation through the Florida workers’ compensation system. Generally speaking, as long as a burn injury arose out of and occurred in the course of employment, it is compensable under Florida law.

One of the experienced West Palm Beach workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. can discuss your work-related burn injury with you today and can provide you with more information about seeking medical coverage, wage-replacement benefits, and disability benefits.

Sources:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3230153/

mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/burns/symptoms-causes/syc-20370539