Any place visited by people has a necessity to have health and safety procedures, so does a salon. A successful salon is one which cares about its clients and creates a safe environment for its workers.
The workers should be well aware of the latest hair styling and color trends as well as the safety precautions they need to take. A salon can become a hazardous place without proper health and safety procedures. We have created a list of safety precautions for your salon to make your salon a safe place for everyone.
Sanitation:
A large number of people visit your salon everyday and you always want them to visit you again. Clean environment is not only better for everyone's health but a key attraction for your salon. Blades, scissors or other equipment being used in the salon should be clean and maintained. For the reason of hygiene and prevention of diseases, chairs, headrests should be covered with clean towels or paper for every new client. Every place where water can get accumulated should be cleaned regularly and floor should be wiped on frequent basis using anti-bacterial products. This assures safety for you and your client at all times.
Clean Instruments:
New scissors, brushes, mixing bowls, hair rollers, electric razors, tweezers, nail clippers or combs cannot be bought for every new customer. This equipment should be sterilized and disinfected between customers. Any supplies coming in direct contact with customers like cotton balls, tissues, sanitary paper, neck strips and emery boards should be discarded after single use.
Proper Warning Signs:
Salons can have regular water spills but it is important to
keep floors dry, specially at places where you wash your client’s hair and around work stations. The front door can also be slippery during rainy and snow season, so it is important to take care of all areas to avoid mishaps. Place warning signs and cones where you have wet floor.
Proper Ventilation:
There is use of chemicals in salons carrying out hair treatments. Keratin treatments or other chemical services can cause emission of formaldehyde or other hazardous chemicals that can be harmful for human health. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has strictly implemented a rule regarding proper ventilation for salons. Salons with regular formaldehyde discharge should have well ventilated areas to avoid any health issues.
Workplace and Access Routes:
There should be sufficient room and place for the workers to move around while working. There should not be any obstructions or slippery areas towards exits. An exit area should be specified for any emergency situations and exit signs should be displayed in the entire salon.
Fire Safety Measures:
There should be a pre-plan for fire emergencies. There should be a fire evacuation plan for your workplace and a fire drill should be regularly conducted among workers. Fire extinguishers and other fire protection equipment should be placed where they can be reached easily. Electric appliances such as blow driers, flat irons or curling irons should be placed in safe places and should be plugged out when not in use as they can be a major reason behind fire.
Education:
Salon owners should educate and instruct every worker about the standard operating procedures and safety precautions to be taken. Salon workers should be well aware of hygiene and cleanliness. They should talk to the client about any history of allergies. The workers should wear latex gloves before any treatment to keep themselves safe.
Other Measures:
Before applying a treatment or using a product on a client, the workers should read the product information and MSDS of that product to know about the risks and safety measures for the product. The salons should closely follow OSHA’s rules and regulations regarding salon safety.
If you have a complete system for risk management and safety precautions in your salon, your customer will be more satisfied and happy with your service. Review your safety regulations on regular basis so that you don’t face a huge loss in case of any adversity.