Burned at Work: What Agency Workers Need to Know About Chemical Injury Claims
By Chris Carter, Managing Solicitor · Carter & Carter Solicitors · 8 March 2026
Quick Answer: Can an Agency Worker Claim Compensation for a Chemical Burn at Work?
Yes. Agency workers have exactly the same legal rights as permanent employees when it comes to workplace safety. If the company you were placed with failed to train you properly, failed to enforce PPE, or left you without adequate first aid when something went wrong, they may be liable for any harm you suffered — regardless of your employment status.
Typical workplace burns compensation: £3,000–£40,000+ depending on severity | Timeline: 4–8 months | 99% settle without court | No Win No Fee
There are two things to understand about the incident that led to a Nottingham cleaning products manufacturer being ordered to pay a total of £59,247 following an HSE prosecution in February 2026.
The first is that it was entirely preventable. A valve on a 1,000-litre container of corrosive drain unblocker had no end cap fitted. That single missing component — worth pennies — meant that when a worker accidentally opened the wrong valve, there was nothing to stop the contents from spraying under pressure directly across her face, her eye, her neck, and her arm.
The second is that the worker it happened to was an agency worker. And as the Health and Safety Executive’s prosecution made clear, that made no difference at all to the manufacturer’s legal obligations.
What Happened at the Nottingham Factory?
On 2 November 2023, the agency worker was part of a team at a Nottingham manufacturing site, decanting corrosive sink and drain unblocker from large bulk containers — each holding 1,000 litres — into smaller containers for retail sale. The containers were positioned at or above shoulder height.
📊 The Nottingham Prosecution at a Glance
Total penalty: £59,247.40 — comprising a £50,000 fine, £7,247.40 costs, and a £2,000 victim surcharge
Court: Nottingham Magistrates’ Court | Date: 12 February 2026
Three failures found: No adequate training (including for workers with limited English) · PPE not routinely worn · Insufficient first aid provision
Worker’s status: Agency worker — with the same legal rights as any permanent employee on site
The decanting process involved attaching a hose to an outlet valve on one container. But the adjacent container — the one without the hose — had no end cap in place. The worker accidentally opened the wrong valve. The unprotected outlet released a significant volume of corrosive liquid under pressure, and she was doused across her face, eye, neck, and arm.
The HSE’s investigation found that the manufacturer had provided no adequate training for workers carrying out this task — including workers with limited English. PPE was not routinely worn on the site. And the first aid provisions in place were not sufficient for an injury of this kind.
The worker suffered very painful injuries and was unable to work for a considerable period. The burns to her eyelid and eye were of particular concern. She has since made a reasonable recovery and returned to work.
“The systems of work employed by the manufacturer unnecessarily exposed workers to risks of injury from exposure to corrosive chemicals. More suitable working methods, including avoidance of decanting large volumes stored at or above head height, could have been employed.”
— HSE Inspector Angus Robbins
How Common Are Chemical Burns at Work — and What Does the Law Require?
This case is not a one-off. The Health and Safety Executive prosecutes employers for chemical exposure failures every year — and the pattern of failings is almost always the same: inadequate training, PPE that exists on paper but not in practice, and first aid provision that is not matched to the actual risk.
Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), employers are legally required to assess the risk from hazardous substances, prevent or adequately control exposure, provide appropriate PPE, and ensure workers are trained in safe systems of work. These obligations apply to every worker on site — including agency workers, temporary workers, and anyone working through a labour contractor.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 reinforces this: an employer’s duty of care extends to all persons who may be affected by the way they conduct their undertaking. The form of someone’s employment contract does not reduce that duty by a single degree.
Can Agency Workers Claim Compensation for a Chemical Burn at Work?
🔵 I’m an agency worker. Can I still claim?
Yes — without any qualification. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the company where you are placed has the same duty to protect you as it does its own staff. Your agency sends you there; the host employer is responsible for your safety while you are on site. This prosecution confirms exactly that position.
🟢 What was the employer legally required to do?
Under COSHH 2002, the employer was required to: assess the risk from the corrosive substance; put in place safe systems of work that eliminated or controlled that risk; ensure PPE was provided and worn; train all workers — including those with limited English — in the safe procedures; and ensure first aid provision was adequate for the actual risk on site. None of these obligations were met.
🟠 What if English isn’t my first language?
It makes no difference to your right to claim — and it makes the employer’s failure worse, not better. If you have limited English and were not given training in a language you could understand, that is a specific breach of the employer’s duty. A language barrier is not a reason to reduce your rights; it is an additional ground on which the employer’s failure may be established. The HSE highlighted inadequate training for workers with limited English as a specific failing in this prosecution.
🟣 How long do I have to make a claim?
You have three years from the date of your injury to bring a compensation claim. The clock starts on the day of the incident — or, in cases where the injury was not immediately apparent, from the date you first became aware of it. Three years sounds generous, but the strongest claims are built on evidence preserved early: incident reports, medical records, witness details, CCTV footage. Don’t wait.
Burned by Chemicals at Work? What to Do in the First 48 Hours
Get emergency medical treatment immediately — even if the burn appears mild. Chemical burns can worsen as the substance continues to react with skin tissue. A medical record created at the time is the most important piece of evidence in any workplace chemical burn claim.
⚠️ Time-Sensitive: Preserve Your Evidence
Immediately: Seek emergency treatment. Do not delay for any reason.
As soon as possible: Report the incident to your employer or the host site — in writing if you can. Ask for a copy of the accident book entry.
Within 48 hours: Note the names of anyone who witnessed what happened. Photograph your injuries. Keep any PPE (or absence of PPE) relevant to what happened.
Don’t delay: CCTV footage is routinely overwritten within days. Witness memories fade. The sooner you act, the stronger your claim.
You are not required to raise a formal complaint with your employer before you can bring a compensation claim. And your employment status — whether permanent, temporary, or agency — does not affect your right to pursue one. What matters is whether the company where you were working failed in its legal duty to keep you safe.
What Are Your Rights After a Chemical Burn at Work?
✓ Your employer — or the host employer if you are an agency worker — has a legal duty under COSHH 2002 to protect you from hazardous substances
✓ Failure to train, enforce PPE, or provide adequate first aid is a breach of that duty — and may give rise to a compensation claim
✓ A language barrier does not reduce your rights — it is an additional ground on which the employer’s failure may be established
✓ You have 3 years from the date of injury to bring your claim
✓ Claims are handled on a No Win No Fee basis — you pay nothing unless your claim succeeds
🔗 Related Guides from Carter & Carter
Workplace Burn Injury Claims — Your Complete Guide
What Is an Employer’s Duty of Care?
How Much Compensation Can You Claim for a Work Accident?
Burned at Work by a Chemical Your Employer Should Have Protected You From?
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0800 652 0586 · No Win No Fee · Workplace injury specialists since 2007
Chris Carter — Managing Solicitor, Carter & Carter Solicitors
Chris has handled workplace injury claims since Carter & Carter was established in 2007. Every claim is managed personally by Chris or David Healey — you will never be passed to a call handler or junior. If you have been injured at work and want to know where you stand, call us directly on 0800 652 0586.