Chemical Contact with Cooks Eye

Description of Incident

During the routine cleaning of the galley after dinner service was complete the vessel cook was using Foaming Oven Cleaner which contained Sodium Hydroxide. He had sprayed the cleaner into the cooker hood, leaving it a while for the cleaner to activate, he then went back to inspect the area that was being cleaned when some of the chemical cleaner dropped from the cooker hood falling between the cook’s prescription glasses and his left eye. The cleaning solution made contact with the cooks left eyeball causing severe irritation and a burning sensation. The crewmember contacted the vessel Master, who then initiated a thorough cleanse of the crewmember’s eye using sterile eye wash and Fluorescein Eye Drops. As a precautionary measure the Coastguard Doctor was called who advised that the crewmember should be medevac’d and so was airlifted to a local hospital for review and further treatment.

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