A 24-year-old man named Chen Yong from Guizhou only worked at a company in Shandong for 6 days when he accidentally touched a radiation source without any protection, causing his right hand to continuously rot and shrink. He is now facing the risk of amputation in January next year.
According to Jiu Pai News, Chen Yong started working at an outsourcing company in Gaomi County, Shandong on April 21 to carry out metal flaw detection work using a gamma-ray flaw detector to inspect welded metal components for damage. This type of work requires professional qualifications and safety training, which Chen Yong did not possess – he had neither obtained relevant certificates nor received professional training.
Due to the urgency of the work at the time, the boss, without signing a labor contract, had Chen Yong and his colleague carry out the metal flaw detection work outdoors in Gaomi on April 27. During the process, as there were sand particles stuck in the detector, making it malfunction, the maintenance technician guided Chen Yong over the phone to unplug the detector tube for inspection barehanded, without any protective measures, leading to accidentally touching the radiation source.
A few days later, Chen Yong’s right hand began to swell and he felt a burning pain. When he reported it to his boss, he was told it was nothing serious and was asked to rest for two days. However, his hand became more swollen and painful, making it difficult for him to sleep. When he went to a professional occupational disease hospital in Jinan for an examination, the abnormality was identified. It was only on May 6 when he visited a radiation sickness treatment hospital in Jiangsu that it was discovered his radiation levels were ten times higher than a normal person.
Following numerous surgeries, big and small, Chen Yong was mentally tormented by pain and began to show signs of depression. He mentioned that initially, his right hand was more severely affected and after being hospitalized, his left hand also began to rot and hurt. Chen Yong stated, “The two fingers of my right hand (middle finger, index finger) have already bent, nails falling off, facing the risk of amputation.”
Chen Yong started sharing his experience online as a cautionary tale and hoped the company would take responsibility. While the company had promised to arrange payment for medical expenses, they asked him to give up his rights, a request he refused. His next step is to contact a lawyer and file for a work-related injury claim.
Recently, Chen Yong updated his social media status indicating that he is about to undergo an amputation surgery with the operation scheduled for early January.