Chemical Inventory Lists Stats and Facts

FACTS

  1. American workers use tens of thousands of chemicals every day. While many of these chemicals are suspected of being harmful, only a small number are regulated in the workplace.
  2. Most deaths due to exposure to hazardous chemicals are preventable, according to the WHO. They can be prevented by reducing or removing chemical exposure.   
  3. With chemicals having a multitude of uses, persons are potentially at risk daily for exposure to chemicals as a result of an acute chemical incident. Depending on the level of exposure and the type of chemical, exposure can result in morbidity and, in some cases, mortality.
  4. Every year thousands of chemicals are manufactured and transported in the United States. As the use of chemicals increases, so does the likelihood of unintentional releases. Acute chemical releases can pose a great public health impact, persons exposed can be injured, and serious exposures (e.g., an exposure to high levels of toxic chemicals such as carbon monoxide) can result in death.

STATS

  • Workers suffer more than 190,000 illnesses and 50,000 deaths annually related to chemical exposures. 
  • Deaths by exposure to hazardous chemicals increased 29% between 2016 and 2019
  • Deaths due to exposure to hazardous chemicals worldwide rose 29 % in 2019 from what they were in 2016, according to latest estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • Two million people died due to exposure to hazardous chemicals in 2019, compared to 1.56 million in 2016. 
  • Hazardous chemicals are present in the air, in consumer products, at the workplace, in water, or in the soil. They can cause several diseases including mental, behavioral and neurological disorders, cataracts, or asthma.
  • Between 4,270 and 5,400 people die every day due to unintentional exposure to chemicals, according to the figures. Children and young adults are particularly affected by unintentional poisoning from hazardous chemicals, WHO data showed.
  • In 2017, 41 U.S. workers died on the job after a single episode of inhaling chemicals and chemical products—7 more fatal injuries than in 2016. This number ranged between 33 and 55 fatal injuries each year from 2011 to 2017, with a total of 297 fatalities across the 7-year span.