Man exposed to toxin due to use of wrong cartridge

A recent court ruling reinforces the importance of making sure your crew members always use respirator cartridges specifically designed for the toxins they could be exposed to.

Here’s what happened: A storeroom employee mistakenly ordered the wrong type of respirator cartridges. As a result, a crew member was wearing a respirator with an incorrect cartridge when he was exposed to a hazardous substance. Forty-five minutes after he finished the job, the staff member’s eyes, nose, throat and chest began to burn.

When the man sought workers’ comp benefits for occupational asthma, his employer fought the claim, arguing that atmospheric testing done a few days after his alleged exposure indicated that chemical concentrations were below the permissible exposure limit.

However, the workers’ comp board ruled in favor of the injured staffer, and an appeals court upheld the board’s ruling. The judge said the worker provided sufficient evidence that his asthma could be linked to his job. The atmospheric testing done by the employer after the fact didn’t show the actual toxin level at the time of the worker’s exposure.

Cite: Weyerhaeuser Co. v. Pritt, Court of Appeals of West Virginia, No. 24-ICA-355, 4/29/25.

(From the July 21, 2025, issue of Safety Alert for Supervisors. To start your no-obligation trial subscription to the publication right now, please click here.)