○ If you do not have metal trash cans with self-closing lids, put cotton balls and soaked materials in a sealed bag before putting them in the trash can and keep the trash covered. ○ Empty trash cans often and remove from the work area to the outside garbage at the end of each day. ● Use only the amount of product you need to perform services. When possible, do not keep extra product at workstations. ● Follow instructions for safely disposing of used chemicals. DO NOT pour them down the sink or toilet, throw them Keep products off of skin and out of eyes ● Wear long-sleeved shirts to protect your arms and pants or skirts that are at least knee-length to protect your lap from acrylic nail and other dusts. ● Wash your hands before and after working on clients; before eating, drinking, applying cosmetics, or smoking; and after handling or transferring products. ● Wear goggles and the appropriate type of disposable gloves when handling and transferring products. For example, nitrile gloves protect against many chemicals used in nail salon products, but latex or vinyl gloves are appropriate when handling acetone. ● Replace gloves immediately if there are cuts, tears, or holes in them. ● Cover and protect cuts or cracks in your skin. Damaged skin can increase chemical absorption and exposure. ● Do not continue to use a product if there are visible signs of skin irritation immediately after exposure to the product or from previous exposure to the product. Respirators that may be used in nail salons Filtering facepiece respirators (often called "N95s" or dust masks): Only use N95s that are NIOSH-approved. N95s protect workers from particulates, such as dust, viruses, and other germs, and are helpful when buffing or filing nails or using acrylic power. They do not protect workers from vapors or gases, such
on the ground or down outside drains, or pour them onto cotton balls. ○ Some chemicals have specific disposal requirements. For example, used liquid acetone must be saved in a fire department-approved metal container and disposed of as hazardous waste. ● Wash your hands before eating, drinking, applying cosmetics, and smoking. ● Keep food and drink covered at all times, and do not store or eat food in work areas. ○ Note that if your hands display signs of irritation, you should examine your gloves to make sure they are intact and properly protecting your skin. Most work in a nail salon will not require respiratory protection; good ventilation, and good work practices should keep exposure to gases, vapors, and particulates to a minimum. However, when respiratory protection is required, employers must implement a respiratory protection program that meets the requirements in OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard, 29 CFR 1910.134. This program must include proper respirator selection, fit testing, medical evaluations, and training. Workers may also decide that they want to wear a respirator while transferring chemicals or buffing and filing nails, in which case the employer may also have responsibilities under OSHA's Respiratory Protection standard.
as hazardous chemicals. Employers who allow their employees to wear this type of respirator voluntarily must give their employees Appendix D of the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard. This appendix has certain requirements that include training and medical evaluation.
BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS IN NAIL SALONS
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, covers exposures to blood and other potentially infectious materials in workplaces, including nail salons. Employers must evaluate whether an employee may contact blood or other potentially infectious material. If the employer determines that this risk exists, then the employer must follow the requirements of the standard to protect the exposed employees, including providing training, vaccination, and personal protective equipment. ● Consider immunization against hepatitis B. Immunization practices can vary by state, so contact your local or state health department for information on current hepatitis B immunization policies in your area. Employers must offer employees hepatitis B immunization without charge if they are likely to be exposed to blood or other infectious materials during their work. ● Clean and disinfect tools after each client per the policies put forward by your state's cosmetology board. Some common steps for cleaning and disinfecting tools are: ○ Wear gloves when cleaning and handling disinfectants or tools soaked in disinfectant. ○ Wash tools with soap and water. Use a scrub if needed. ○ Soak tools in an EPA registered disinfectant for 10-30 minutes, according to manufacturer directions. Be careful to follow the manufacturer's instructions when mixing the product ratios.
OSHA provides information on biological hazards including pathogens and disease transmission that may occur in the nail salon (OSHA,2019) as follows: Biological hazards include bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Nail salon workers can be exposed to bloodborne pathogens, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), if they come into contact with infected blood from a co-worker or client. Workers can also be exposed to fungal infections of the nails and feet by touching infected client skin or by using equipment that has not been cleaned. Steps to prevent exposure and protect worker health ● Avoid all contact with blood or bodily fluids. ● Wear gloves, and avoid clients with cuts, open wounds/sores, blisters, or visibly infected skin on their hands, feet, or nails. Many agencies such as the Boston Public Health Commission and the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology prohibit working on clients with these health issues.* ● Throw away disposable gloves immediately after using them. ● Always wash hands with soap and water to avoid spreading germs. Wash hands before and after working with clients. ● Bandage open cuts or broken skin to prevent contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials from a client or coworker. ● If an individual is bleeding, do not touch the blood. Ask the individual to use a cotton ball or tissue to stop the bleeding and to throw the used material directly into the trash once the bleeding has stopped.
○ Rinse in clean water. ○ Dry with a clean cloth.
Book Code: COH0325A
Page 19
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