The company I work at deals with highly corrosive and carcinogenic chemicals in very large quantities. I have been working there for 2 months now.
I never received formal safety training or education on the chemicals used and their dangers. I have learned now too that I and others did not have the proper PPE for handling such chemicals. The company rules say to use the proper PPE, but I was not provided it until now. Previously I only hand latex gloves and safety glasses.
One month after starting I spilled a small amount of a corrosive chemical on my arm, while I was doing normal work duties that were given to me. Management decided to label it a Near-Miss, and they never continued on the paperwork for reporting that to me. It took 10 days for the small burn I received to be entirely healed.
At the job I use a fume-hood when working with carcinogenic substances that are boiling. I was never told that the fume-hood was not properly working when I started. Instead of a motor ventilation, a small Honeywell fan was used. I found this out because I tested the system myself because I worried about my safety. Even afterward when management installed a new motor, it was not tested and I worked with a malfunction fume-hood for about an hour before I noticed and tested it again. Only now is the whole thing getting replaced because it started to affect production.
Lastly, here are somethings I’ve seen while working:
Workers with no gloves
Workers with carcinogenic chemical stains on skin
No PPE for highly corrosive chemicals
Fabricated data
Reusing one-time use hazmat PPE
Walking along an unguarded pool of chemicals
And general ignorance of safety
Even with the PPE that I barely got now, I can’t feel safe or trust that others will keep me safe, and I now suffer from shortness of breath and anxiety at work.
Are these valid reasons to quit and/or report the workplace to OSHA? Or what can I do now?