Health, Safety and Hygiene in the Salon
What this domain tests
The legal duties of employer and employee, chemical safety, infection control, waste and fire procedures, and the practical hygiene routine the examiner expects to see described step by step.
The legal frame
- Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005: the employer writes the safety statement, carries out risk assessments, provides PPE free of charge, trains staff and plans for emergencies; certain accidents must be reported to the HSA.
- Chemical Agents Regulations: assess, substitute where possible, ventilate, provide PPE and health surveillance, keep safety data sheets accessible. Never decant product into unlabelled bottles.
- Waste Management Act: peroxide, bleach and colour residue are hazardous waste - never to the sink in bulk; single-use items such as files, spatulas and blades go in the bin after one client.
Hygiene routine
Clean, then disinfect, then store dry. Metal implements are cleaned and immersed in a manufacturer-diluted disinfectant (or 70% alcohol) between clients; towels are hot-washed; hands are washed before and after every client and gloves worn for colour, bleach and perming. Distinguish cleaning (removes soil), disinfection (kills most pathogens) and sterilisation (kills spores - not achievable with a wipe).
Worked example
Assess a bleach-powder spill: likelihood 3 × severity 4 = 12, a high rating. Controls: substitute low-dust bleach, mix in a closed container near extraction, keep a spill kit, train staff, wear goggles, gloves and apron. Re-rate after controls: likelihood 1 × severity 4 = 4, low. The written record shows the reasoning, not just the outcome.
Traps that cost marks
Using "sterilise" for wiping scissors; ignoring the disinfectant dilution ratio or contact time; stating PPE is the employee's cost; forgetting to record the risk assessment or the accident.