On June 4, 2010, more than a dozen people were affected by an industrial accident in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Around 10 a.m. on Friday morning, a 55-gallon drum of chloromethyl naphtalene released corrosive vapors when it was punctured at the Old Dominion Freight Line facility near Harvard Avenue and Dawson Road. Fifteen people were affected by the vapors and nine of them were taken to area hospitals. Injuries such as these may deserve compensation and victims should contact an Oklahoma City workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your situation.

Industrial accidents like this one are incredibly dangerous for workers. Chloromethyl naphthalene is a chemical is often used for industrial cleaning and even minor exposure can cause serious problems. For example, even slight contact with a corrosive or acid can damage the soft tissue inside the respiratory system.

To protect workers, they were decontaminated by stripping off their clothes inside a blue decontamination tent and then doused with soapy water to remove any chemical residue. After the workers were rinsed, they were taken to hospitals for breathing treatments and chest X-rays to look for lung damage.

Industrial accidents like this endanger Oklahoma workers all the time. On June 8, only days after the leak in Tulsa, a Woodward plant worker was burned in a chemical fire. The worker was dumping red phosphorus into a processing machine when a flash fire burned him. The worker was taken to a local hospital to be treated from burns and smoke inhalation.

In the wake of such industrial and chemical accidents, workers are left with painful recoveries and mounting medical bills. The financial stress is worse if a worker is too injured to return to his former profession.

Luckily, there are professionals who can help. Oklahoma workers injured in industrial and chemical accidents are entitled to compensation. There are numerous sources of compensation, such as insurance funds that exist in adherence to the workers’ compensation laws in Oklahoma, private insurance policies and in some cases there are even claims for personal injuries.

If you or someone you love has been in an industrial or chemical accident and needs help obtaining the benefits you deserve, contact the Oklahoma workers comp attorneys at AMA Law today to schedule a free initial consultation.