Chlorine is used in several heavy industrial applications and a number of regular household consumer products. People often face chlorine exposure in acute, small doses around swimming pools or household products, or workers in certain industries may be occupationally exposed in pesticide plants, rail accidents, spills, or other dangerous work-related circumstances.
In recent years, work accidents have caused serious injuries when chlorine was leaked or spilled, and when other industrial chemicals were improperly mixed. Janitors, maintenance crews and housekeepers have been exposed on smaller scales when they unknowingly mix household chemicals with bleach or swimming pool disinfectants.
Chlorine is sometimes stored in tanks in a gas form, which can be pressurized and cooled and changed into a liquid to be shipped and stored. When liquid chlorine is released, it quickly turns into a gas that may spread rapidly. Acute chlorine exposure can result in serious injuries and long-term complications.
Severely affected individuals may suffer acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Up to one percent of exposed individuals die. Some symptoms of related acute airway obstruction include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, nausea and vomiting.
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Workplace Chlorine Exposure Injury
In cases of chlorine spills or leaks, leave the area where the chlorine was released. If the chlorine release is indoors, leave the building. If the chlorine release is outdoors, move to the highest ground possible, as chlorine gas will sink to low-lying areas.
If you may have been exposed, remove your clothing, wash your entire body with soap and water, and seek medical care. Clothing with liquid chlorine on it should be cut from the body instead of pulled over the head. When helping other people remove their clothing, try to avoid touching any contaminated areas.
If your eyes are burning or your vision is blurred, rinse the eyes with water for 10 to 15 minutes. If you wear contacts, remove them before rinsing your eyes. Do not put the contacts back in your eyes. If you have ingested chlorine, do not induce vomiting or drink fluids. Seek medical attention right away. Treatment consists of removing the chlorine from the body as soon as possible and providing breathing treatment measures.
Common Sources of Chlorine Exposure
Water treatment plants use chlorine for purification, exposing workers to liquid and gas forms. Swimming pool facilities, particularly commercial operations, maintain large chlorine supplies that create hazards during handling and storage. Chemical manufacturing plants produce and process chlorine in industrial quantities.
Paper and textile bleaching operations utilize chlorine compounds throughout production. Cleaning staff in hospitals, hotels, and commercial buildings mix chlorine-based products, sometimes creating toxic gas through improper combinations. Transportation accidents involving tanker trucks or rail cars release massive chlorine clouds affecting entire communities.
Food processing facilities use chlorine sanitizers, and municipal water systems maintain chlorination equipment. Even residential exposure occurs when household cleaners containing bleach mix with other chemicals, producing dangerous chlorine gas.
