Salon Air Improvement: Essential Tips and Solutions
Salon Air Improvement: Essential Tips and Solutions
Occupational Risk
Indoor Air Quality has always been a concern in spas and salons. For hair salons, cancer-causing formaldehyde was enemy number one due to the toxic fumes emitted from perms, dyes, and hair straightening treatments. For nail salons, it was the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) present in lacquers, adhesives, and polish removers that presented the most serious occupational health risk.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), part of the US Department of Labor, has long been a protector of American workers. OSHA has published numerous standards and recommendations benefiting laborers across all industries, including those employed at spas and salons. From ventilation recommendations for nail care personnel to tips on avoiding chemical exposure for salon staff, OSHA has taken the lead in protecting employee health.
- (1.)Ventilation Recommendations for Nail Care Personnel
OSHA provides detailed guidelines on proper ventilation systems to minimize exposure to harmful fumes and chemicals in nail salons. These recommendations help ensure a safer working environment for nail care professionals, reducing the risk of respiratory issues and other health problems.
- (2.)Tips on Avoiding Chemical Exposure for Salon Staff
OSHA also offers tips and best practices for salon staff to avoid chemical exposure. These guidelines include using appropriate protective equipment, following safe handling procedures for chemicals, and maintaining a clean and well-ventilated workspace.
By implementing OSHA's recommendations, spas and salons can create a safer and healthier environment for their employees, demonstrating a commitment to worker safety and well-being.
As COVID-19 has shown us, spas and salons are potential breeding grounds for viruses, much like any place where people from different households gather. These businesses often operate in smaller, tighter spaces, creating an environment ripe for germ-sharing. Every spa table, sink, chair, and surface can be a hot spot for transmission. If even one hairbrush or cabinet knob harbors a communicable microbe, a virus can infect nearly everyone in the shop or salon within hours. This highlights the crucial importance of thorough cleaning and disinfecting.
High-Risk Areas in Spas and Salons
- Spa Tables and Chairs
Frequent use makes these surfaces prime areas for germ transmission.
- Sinks and Basins
Regular contact with water and skin can facilitate microbial growth.
- Tools and Equipment
Items like hairbrushes and combs need to be disinfected after each use to prevent cross-contamination.
- High-Touch Surfaces
Cabinet knobs, door handles, and light switches are common touchpoints that require regular cleaning.
Preventing Exposure in Spas and Salons: CDC and EPA Recommendations
Even before COVID-19, the CDC provided recommendations for controlling unhealthy occupational exposures through their Hierarchy of Controls model. This model offers five ways to reduce transmission among workers by adopting various control methods.
Even before COVID-19, the CDC provided recommendations for controlling unhealthy occupational exposures through their Hierarchy of Controls model.
- (1)This model offers five ways to reduce transmission among workers by adopting various control methods.
While wearing masks, washing hands, and wiping down surfaces make workplaces safer, the most effective control measure is elimination. Although elimination is often the most difficult control to implement due to cost and complex mechanical structures in buildings, it remains the most effective.
- Ventilated Tables and Portable Ventilation Units
Use ventilated tables or portable ventilation units.Ensure units do not blow air from one person to another.
- Adjusting Building Ventilation
Work with facilities management to maximize fresh air intake while maintaining humidity at 40-60%.Increase HVAC filter efficiency to the highest level possible.
- Portable HEPA Filtration Units
Use portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration units to remove contaminants and clean the air.
- EPA Recommendations
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports CDC recommendations by advocating for portable HEPA fan/filtration systems. These systems reduce the transmission threat in higher-risk areas, such as waiting areas and spaces where multiple stylists and customers are located.
What makes using these air cleaners with HEPA filtration a powerful tool against viral transmission is that these products are designed to draw in polluted air and filter out the impurities. Quality air cleaning and filtration units are proven to reduce airborne contaminants. Portable air cleaners (also known as air purifiers) may be particularly helpful.
Salon Pure Air: Your Clean Air Solution
Fumeclear® is here to help. Our FC Series Nail Salon Fume Extractor effectively removes smoke and odors from their source. With the help of our portable air purifiers, you can eliminate up to 99.99% of airborne particles, ensuring employees and customers breathe clean, safe air.
