Do hair salon owners and operators also need to be environmental lawyers, organic chemists, and industrial hygienists, in order to make sure that their daily operations are not violating federal and state health and safety laws? In 2011, The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued citations to, and imposed fines on, 37 salons and beauty schools and 9 distributors or manufacturers of hair products.
OSHA and state occupational safety and health agencies regulate hair salons in order to protect the health of workers from exposure to hazardous chemicals released by hair smoothing or hair straightening products. OSHA’s concern has focused on keratin treatment hair smoothing or hair straightening products. Many of these products either contain formaldehyde as an ingredient, or contain other chemicals that release formaldehyde gas when the product is used. OSHA’s website (www.osha.gov) contains information about hair products containing or releasing formaldehyde. OSHA has listed certain name- brand products that contain or release formaldehyde gas during regular use. (See www.osha.gov/SLTC/hairsalons/formaldehyde_in_products.html).
Nevertheless, hair salon owners still face serious difficulties in figuring out which keratin treatment hair smoothing or hair straightening products will not create formaldehyde exposure issues. Checking the manufacturer’s the product’s list of ingredients to see if it lists formaldehyde may not be enough. Formaldehyde is an organic chemical which is known by many other chemical names and some of these chemical names may be listed instead as ingredients. Therefore, the salon owner also needs to know what other chemical names correspond to formaldehyde. They also need to know which other chemical ingredients will, during regular use, release formaldehyde gas.
Environmental lawyers, environmental consultants, and industrial hygienists may assist owners and operators of hair salons in complying with OSHA requirements, and defending against OSHA violations or citations, through the development of employee hazard communication programs and employee health and safety programs which cover all of the hair products which they purchase and use.