OSHA warns hair salons of formaldehyde exposure

Hair stylists that work with hair smoothing and straightening products may be at risk of formaldehyde exposure. OSHA has issued a hazard alert to salon owners. The agency also is conducting investigations and has imposed citations.

Exposure to the substance can cause a variety of health effects, from eye and nose irritation to nose and lung cancer. Manufacturers, importers, and distributors of products that contain formaldehyde or that can release it during use are required to include such information on product labels and in material safety data sheets that are sent to employers.

OSHA and several state agencies are conducting investigations in response to complaints about possible exposure to formaldehyde. During air tests at one salon, OSHA investigators said they found formaldehyde at levels beyond the allowable limit for a salon even though the product was labeled as formaldehyde-free.

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California's Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently issued violations to an importer and distributer of smoothing products for erroneously labeling the products formaldehyde-free. Connecticut and Oregon have issued warnings.

OSHA recommends salon owners use products that do not contain formaldehyde, methylene glycol, formalin, methylene oxide, paraform, formic aldehyde, methanol, oxomethane, oxymethylene, or Chemical Abstract Service Number 50-00-0. Salon owners that choose to use formaldehyde-containing products must follow OSHA's formaldehyde standard. It includes:

Conducting air monitoring.
Installing ventilation where needed.
Training workers about formaldehyde.

Read more at the WorkersComp Forum homepage.

May 9, 2011

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