Workplace Safety
Workplace Safety tests hazard spotting, safe handling of chemicals and electrical equipment, and emergency response in a salon. Scenario questions often describe a wet floor, an overloaded socket, a blocked exit or a client reacting to a product.
Core rules
- Risk assessment: identify the hazard, who may be harmed, how severe the harm could be, the controls, and when the assessment will be reviewed.
- Chemicals: keep products in original labelled containers, read the safety data sheet, ventilate the area, wear gloves and eye protection where needed, and never decant chemicals into drink bottles.
- Electrical safety: PAT-test portable appliances, keep cables out of walkways, keep hands dry, avoid overloading sockets and unplug equipment before cleaning.
- Slips and trips: mop spills immediately, use a wet-floor sign, keep bags and stock off the floor and maintain clear walkways.
- Fire safety: know exit routes, keep extinguishers accessible, do not block exits and switch off appliances at the end of the day.
- Ergonomics: adjust chair and basin height, avoid twisting, and take short breaks during long services.
Worked example
A bottle of acetone tips over near a client chair. Reasoning: acetone is flammable and irritates eyes, so stop the service, ventilate the room, keep ignition sources away, wear gloves, absorb the spill with inert material, clean the floor and dispose of the waste correctly. Do not simply wipe it with a towel and continue.
Traps that cost marks
- Using water on an electrical fire.
- Assuming natural products are hazard-free.
- Blocking fire exits with stock.
- Ignoring posture because a service is short.
- Forgetting to record and report an incident.