A man has received compensation after exposure to chemicals at work resulted in a work related illness.

The client, developed symptoms of dermatitis on his hands and arms in October 2007 after using a polishing machine every day at work. He worked on various types of cutlery and used different types of polishing compounds to create the polished finish. When he operated the polishing machine, this would create large amounts of dust in the air from the polishing compounds. It was this dust that permeated through to his skin and caused the symptoms of dermatitis. The client had to leave his job and look for alternative work. Eventually, he returned to the same company in 2009 and was told that he would be put on a different job. However, within a couple of weeks he was put back on the same polishing machine and so the symptoms of dermatitis flared up again.

The client contacted us and we pursued a claim on his behalf. A medical report was obtained and this confirmed that the claimant’s symptoms had indeed been caused by a reaction to the polishing compounds to which he was exposed.

The defendant made an offer to settle the claim and this was accepted by the client. Therefore, he received a five-figure sum in settlement of his claim.

Nick Woods: “I am delighted that we have managed to secure a settlement for our client. Many people suffer from symptoms of dermatitis as a result of exposure to various forms of irritant, yet many people are unaware that compensation can be claimed for such exposure. Employers have a duty of care to their employees to ensure that nobody is exposed to dangerous irritants and the fact that my client’s claim has been successful proves that even down to this day, many employers are unaware of the dangers.”

If you've developed occupational dermatitis, ourpersonal injury solicitors could help you claim compensation. Visit our Occupational Dermatitis Compensation Claims page for more information.

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