Gulf Oil Spill Workers are starting to experience Adverse Health Affects due to Chemical Exposure in Oil Cleanup

As if the Gulf Oil Spill weren’t enough of a disaster, another crisis is beginning to take shape amidst the cleanup effort.  Gulf Oil Syndrome (also called Oil Spill Syndrome) is being seen in emergency rooms and mobile health units among cleanup workers, fishermen, and others who are involved in the conservation effort.  Chemicals like Benzene, Toulene, Xylene, Naphthalene, Ethylbenzene*, and others are now found in the air, primarily through the burning of oil and the use of chemicals that dissolve or dilute oil.  Exposure to light crude oil, burning oil particles, oil spill dispersants, and other chemicals can cause a host of health problems. 

Some of the milder symptoms include*:

• Eye, nose, and throat irritation
• Headache, upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea
• Skin reddening, swelling, and burning

With prolonged exposure to these chemicals, also called Volatile Organic Compounds (“VOCs”), people may begin to experience the following health issues*:

• Damage to the central nervous system**
• Damage to red blood cells, kidneys, and liver**
• Certain forms of cancer
• Death

On May 29, 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a “Background Fact Sheet on HHS Response to Deepwater Oil Spill” (www.hhs.gov) which provided a summary of the actions being taken by the government to provide medical care, prevention, and monitoring of exposed individuals within the affected regions.  Although the long term consequences remain to be seen, it can be forecasted that the BP Oil Spill will have far reaching legal issues similar to Asbestos, Silica, and Benzene litigation.  With major plaintiff firms already conducting investigations into the affects of the Gulf Oil Spill, a serious look into the injuries suffered by the workers in this disaster is sure to be on the horizon.

Lien Settlement Solutions, LLC is ready to assist your firm with lien resolution and support services in cases ranging from Gulf Oil Spill, Environmental Exposure, Asbestos, Benzene, Fibrous and Toxic exposures, etc. for Mass Tort, Project Groups, and Single Incident cases.  Contact LSS today at (877)907-5436 or info@lienss.com for more information about our lien resolution services.

* from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention “Gulf Oil Spill 2010″ (CDC, http://emergency.cdc.gov/gulfoilspill2010/)

** from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA, http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/xylene/recognition.html)

Compiled and written by Tevra L. Johnson, Director of Lien Resolution – Lien Settlement Solutions, LLC.  

Tags: asbestos, benzene, Chemical, Exposure, Florida, Liability, Litigation, Louisiana, Mass Tort, Mississippi, Oil Spill, Workers Compensation

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 at 6:57 pm and is filed under Lien Resolution. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.