Pesticide illness

Claims for pesticide-related illness are mainly made by workers from the agricultural sector who have suffered pesticide exposure in harvest season during the process of the harvesting and packing of crops.

However, these are not the only group of workers at risk of pesticide poisoning - textile workers are known to suffer occasional exposure and those in other industrial settings, such as factories, may also be at risk of exposure to rat killers, slug pellets, ant killers and weed killers.

The symptoms of pesticide poisoning
Pesticide poisoning can present a wide variety of symptoms, depending on both the type of pesticide that a person is exposed to and the length and intensity of exposure.

For example, insecticide pesticides may cause dermatological problems, stomach pain, dizziness, drowsiness, breathing difficulties and vomiting.

In some cases, pesticide poisoning may result in marked psychological changes, seizures and heart palpitations.

In the most extreme cases, usually caused by long-term exposure, those affected can fall into a coma, develop cancer or even suffer sudden death. The effects of pesticide poisoning can also result in the children of exposed people being born with birth defects.

Employer responsibility

Employers have a legal obligation to:

• Provide suitable protective equipment to workers using pesticides
• Ensure the environment is suitably ventilated
• Carry out risk assessments on the use of pesticides

If you have been suffered ill health after using pesticides in the workplace and you think that a failure in your employer’s duty of care might be to blame you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

To find out more use our echat facility, request a callback or speak with a litigation advisor on 0800 10 757 95.