Abstract
Steve, a 42-year-old factory operative, attends surgery as an emergency following an accident while at work. His employer is a company that manufactures foam mattresses. Two hours ago a drum containing the chemical nitrobenzene broke after falling to the factory floor, spilling its contents. Steve was nearby and some splashed onto his exposed forearm. Despite washing the area he says the skin feels irritated. He has also started to develop a headache and feels nauseous.
What is your immediate management? What resources might you find it useful to access? Are there any wider implications? Who else should you involve?
Steve tells you that several of his other colleagues were also close to the spill.