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Safety in Nail Salons

Nail salons continue to be a growing, booming business. As with most businesses, nail salons are not exempt from safety hazards in the workplace. The artificial nail industry has seen rapid growth, bringing changes in the services offered and the products used. With the increase in products used, there come additional hazards. The nail technician and client can potentially be overexposed to these hazards. Typical products include—but are not limited to—paints, polishes, acrylics, glues and laminates.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates products in the cosmetic industry, including nail products. The FDA does not approve or inspect nail products before they are introduced into the market, but the FDA will occasionally inspect cosmetic manufacturers and take random samples for analysis. If a problem arises, the FDA can take legal action. Although salons typically only have a limited number of employees, they too must abide by OSHA legislation. Listed below are the standards that were cited by Federal OSHA for beauty shops with a Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code of 7231 during the period October 1998 through September 1999.

Artificial nail products are composed of various chemicals, including—but not limited to—ethyl methacrylate (EMA), titanium dioxide, benzoyl peroxide, methacrylic acid and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The main ingredient for most artificial nail products is ethyl methacrylate. In 1974, the U.S. FDA banned a similar chemical, methyl methacrylate (MMA), for use in nail products because of its harmful effects during application. Exposure to MMA can cause acute (short-term) effects and chronic (long-term) effects. Some of the acute effects of MMA include depression of the central nervous system (CNS), irritation to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes and damage to the liver. Some of the chronic effects of MMA include kidney and liver lesions.

One commonly used product that deserves mentioning here is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The FDA ban applies only to liquid MMA because only the liquid form of MMA is dangerous. PMMA is a solid. Many nail glues and wrap gels have a small amount of solid PMMA dissolved into them as a thickener. PMMA is harmless and perfectly legal because all the original MMA molecules have become bonded together in long chains—making them thousands of times larger than MMA molecules—and can no longer evaporate or penetrate the skin. Also worth noting is that mixing PMMA with liquid monomers, acetone or other nail remover solutions will not break it down into harmful, free MMA molecules.

The first step to protect against hazards is to eliminate them. To eliminate a hazard at a nail salon, either remove the hazardous substance or process, or substitute the hazardous product with a less hazardous or nonhazardous product. An example of substitution is the use of EMA instead of MMA. Although EMA is less hazardous than MMA, it is still a hazard. Since it is not always feasible to fully eliminate hazards, the next step is to engineer the removal of the hazard. Since EMA—even though a substitute for MMA—is still a hazard, ventilation is necessary. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) states that the best way to avoid overexposure to EMA is through local ventilation.

*Abatement means action by an employer to comply with a cited standard or regulation or to eliminate a recognized hazard identified by OSHA during an inspection.

Ventilated Table

Researchers from NIOSH have found that a ventilation table best protects the nail technician against breathing EMA. The ventilated table is the most important engineering control for getting rid of EMA in the nail salon because the vented table places local exhaust ventilation close to the work area. The following are recommendations for a nail technicians work area:

• Place local exhaust ventilation as close to the EMA source as possible. Exhaust this air outdoors. Charcoal filters that allow the air to be used over again are not recommended because it is hard to know when the charcoal is full. 
• Build a ventilated table, or change a table you already own into a ventilated one (see Figure 1). Ventilated table sizes will vary from nail salon to nail salon. Choose a wood for your ventilated table that will not soak up the chemicals. If the table acts like a sponge, it may actually expose you to the chemicals you want to avoid. A veneer-coated particleboard works well for the table material.

Make a hole in the tabletop for an air intake (called the downdraft face). This downdraft face should be placed on the technician’s side of the table. Cover the hole with a screen-like cover (or a perforated plate) to prevent objects from falling in. 

The client’s side of the table should be a little higher than the technician’s side. This allows the client’s hands to hang over the downdraft face and be as close as possible to the local exhaust vent. (see Figure 2).

Make sure that enough air blows through the table downdraft to get rid of the EMA. The amount of air exhausted depends on its speed as it moves through the downdraft face and on the size of the table opening. However, too much air rushing past the fingernails may cause the artificial nail product(s) to crystallize.

An air speed of 620 fpm (feet per minute) directly above the 13- by 4-inch downdraft face works very well. A 22" baffle should surround the downdraft face to pull the moving air closer to the client’s hands.

Different drying times are needed for different finger-nail products and different application techniques. Although a stronger and larger airflow will collect more dust during filing, and dry the color coat faster, a slower and lower airflow gives better results for the artificial fingernail product.

• Choose an exhaust fan that can exhaust at least 250 cfpm (cubic feet per minute) of air and has a 1 /4" static pressure. (A 1 /8-hp centrifugal fan works well.) To prevent fan noise from getting in the way of talk or client comfort, you can do one of three things:

1. buy a quiet fan; 
2. put a cover over a noisier fan; or 
3. buy an outdoor fan that is placed on an outside wall. The fan should have control settings. Use either a multi-speed or high-volume exhaust fan with a damper. You can find a fan supplier by looking in the Thomas Register of American Manufacturers directory under the headings of “Fans” or “Fans, Centrifugal.” Your public library should have this directory or you can locate it on the Internet at http://www.thomasregister.com. The fan supplier may be able to install your fan, as well as supply the ductwork and other needed materials.

• Provide enough makeup air to replace the exhaust air. If the makeup air is too weak, there will be negative pressure areas and perhaps drafts. The air intake, which pulls outdoor air inside, should not be placed near the building exhaust. If the exhaust and intake vents are too close, dirty air will be pulled back into the room. 
• Make sure comfort fans do not blow directly on the downdraft face—the strong air movement can interfere with the exhaust airflow.

When these methods are implemented, but further protection is still needed, respiratory protection is the next step.

The key chemical in the nail salon industry previously was methyl methacrylate but is now ethyl methacrylate. Both are categorized as organic vapors. Protection from an organic vapor requires a respirator with a carbon filter, activated to protect against organ-ic vapors—not just a particulate respirator. If the contaminant is below the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) established by ACGIH or the Permissible Exposure Level (PEL) established by OSHA, it is considered a nuisance and a particulate respirator with organic vapor relief can be worn. However, if the contaminant is at or above the TLV or PEL, a cartridge style also known as an air-purifying respirator (APR) with organic vapor cartridges is needed to provide the proper protection. When there is not a TLV or PEL established, the chemical manufacturer’s recommendations for concentration are recognized as the exposure level guidelines. Products like these can be located in Lab Safety Supply’s Respiratory section of the catalog (e.g. # 41449 3M Half Mask respirator with organic vapor and particulate protection).

Air monitoring is performed to determine the levels of contaminant the worker and/or client is exposed to. Once the results from air monitoring are determined, the appropriate respiratory protection, if needed, can be chosen.

Recap of Steps to a Safe Nail Salon:

1. Check all MSDSs to identify the hazards. 
2. Do not use any products that contain MMA. 
3. Have a ventilated workstation. 
4. Take air samples by air monitoring. 
5. Use the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment if or when needed.
6. Disinfect all instruments between clients for at least 10 minutes in a germicidal solution.

Healthy Work Habits

Note: Italic print indicates potential Lab Safety Supply products that may help to provide for a safer working environment. Nail technicians can also minimize exposure to these airborne problems by changing some of their work habits and using appropriate personal protective equipment as needed.

1. EMA- soaked gauze pads should be placed in an oily waste can and disposed of daily in the appropriate manner. Possible Lab Safety Supply products can be located the “Safety Can” section of the Industrial & Safety Supplies catalog (e.g. product number 1255Y, 10-gal.Oily Waste Can).
2. No more than the needed amount of fingernail liquid should be poured into the closed dispenser bottle. 
3. Nail technicians should wear personal protective glasses or goggles. When technicians remove artificial nails, chips of acrylic can fly off, creating a need for eye protection. When handling chemicals, goggles should be worn to protect the eyes from potential splashes. Possible Lab Safety Supply products can be located the “Eyewear” section of the catalog. (e.g. part numbers 40498 Spectacles, or 54876 Indirect Vented Goggles.) 
4. Technicians should wear personal protective gloves and long sleeves to protect their skin from acrylic dust. Slip on sleeve protectors can be used in place of long sleeves. Thin latex or nitrile gloves can be used which will have minimal effects on the technicians dexterity. Possible Lab Safety Supply hand protection products can be located in the “Gloves” section of the catalog (e.g. product number 16285 Nitrile Gloves, or possibly 54206 Latex Gloves). Possible Lab Safety Supply sleeve protectors can be located in the “Clothing” section (e.g. part number 1894P, Sleeve Protectors). 
5. Technicians should wash their hands, arms and face with mild soap several times throughout the day to remove potential irritation. 
6. Eating and drinking should not be allowed where artificial nails are applied. Methacrylates in nail dust and other salon chemicals can be carried accidentally to the mouth or face on a cup or other food items, which may cause skin rashes or cause health problems if swallowed. Reinforcing this safety issue with signage reminds nail technicians and the clients of the importance of this issue. Possible Lab Safety Supply signs can be located in the “Signs and Labels” section of the catalog (e.g. “No Food or Beverage” Sign, part number 129544 or 61877). 
7. Smoking should not be allowed because many salon products are flammable. Possible Lab Safety Supply Signs can be located in the "Signs and Labels" section of the catalog (e.g. “No Smoking” Sign, part number 129370).

Sources:

National Interstate Council of State Cosmetology Boards 

Appearance Enhancement Advisory Committee 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) http://www.fda.gov 

Thomas Register http://www.thomasregister.com 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html

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