Occupational Safety and Health in the Salon
Domain focus
The Occupational Safety and Health in the Salon domain tests whether you can spot a hazard, apply the right control and document what you did - before a client, colleague or you is harmed. Expect questions on the OSH Act 2007 (Kenya), chemical handling, infection control, electricity, fire and ergonomics.
Core rules
- Employers must provide a safe workplace, free PPE and training; employees must follow safe systems of work and report hazards.
- Apply the hierarchy of control in order: eliminate, substitute, engineer (ventilation, guards), administrative (rotas, signage), then PPE last.
- Never decant chemicals into unlabelled bottles, drink bottles or food containers. Keep Safety Data Sheets accessible.
- Clean tools of debris, then disinfect with an approved disinfectant or 70% isopropyl alcohol; sterilise metal implements in an autoclave. Do not double-dip wax.
- Blood or scalp nicks: gloves on, absorb with disposable paper, bag as biohazard, disinfect the surface with 1:10 bleach, wash hands, record the incident.
- Colour and relaxer areas need extract ventilation; cap peroxides and store away from sunlight and heat.
- Use CO2 extinguishers on electrical fires; check plugs, cords and earth leakage; no trailing cables across walkways.
- Ergonomics: adjustable chair and basin height, anti-fatigue mat, micro-breaks, correct lifting.
Worked example
A comb nicks the scalp during a relaxer rinse and blood appears on the comb. Reasoning: stop the service, glove up, blot the area, do not apply more chemical to broken skin, place contaminated paper in a biohazard bag, clean and disinfect the comb, record the incident and advise the client. Continuing the relaxer risks chemical burn and cross-infection.
Traps
Putting PPE first instead of last; confusing disinfection with sterilisation; storing peroxide in sunlight; assuming natural products cannot sensitise.