Workplace Safety
Everyday hazards in a salon
Wet floors, trailing cables, hot wax and straighteners, sharp shears and blades, ammonia and peroxide fumes, nail dust, and long hours standing. Safety is assessed as a habit, not a list: spot the hazard, remove or control it, record it.
Core rules
- Electrical: no water near sockets, no daisy-chained adaptors, unplug before cleaning, tag out damaged cords, use RCD protection where fitted, dry hands before touching plugs.
- Chemicals: keep products in original labelled containers, never decant into water bottles, store acids and peroxide apart, ventilate colour and nail areas, wear nitrile gloves when mixing, know where the eyewash and running water are.
- Fire: know extinguisher classes. CO2 for electrical fires, foam or dry powder for general fires, never water on electrical equipment. Keep exits and extinguishers clear.
- Slips and spills: clean immediately, use wet-floor signs, keep the floor dry around pedicure and shampoo stations.
- Ergonomics: adjustable chairs, work at elbow height, alternate standing and sitting, use anti-fatigue mats.
Worked example
A 12% peroxide bottle slips and splashes a stylist's forearm. Reasoning: flush with cool running water for at least 15 minutes, remove contaminated jewellery, do not try to neutralise it with another chemical, cover with a clean dressing, record it in the accident book, and check storage, because the squeeze bottle was kept above eye level and caused the splash.
Traps that cost marks
- Mixing bleach powder and peroxide in an unlabelled bowl.
- Assuming water is safe on every type of fire.
- Writing "informed the manager" instead of documenting the incident properly.