Because many manufacturers use benzene in one way or another, benzene poisoning is more common than people think. It's not just workers who have to worry about acute exposure. Industrial accidents can cause leaks of toxic levels on benzene gas in the air. When this happens, not only are plant employees in danger of benzene poisoning but those living in the shadow of the plant are in danger as well. Emergency officials will usually evacuate the plant and the surrounding neighborhood in the case of an industrial leak.

Benzene poisoning can be fatal. According to health officials, respiratory tract inflammation, lung hemorrhages, kidney congestion, and cerebral edema are listed in benzene poisoning deaths. Respiratory distress has also been reported in some cases. Long-term exposure to benzene has been linked to leukemia. Printers, refinery workers, painters and chemical workers are the most at risk. Some studies link benzene to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as well.