11/02/2012

The Importance Of Nail Salon Ventilation In Workplace Safety

By Marcy Becker


In the US and abroad nail salons are continuing to become a popular business model. With this ever increasing capacity for business, a great application for nail salon ventilation within the workplace becomes far more essential. Many owners and professionals in this business believe these systems simply for odor control, however this is not the complete truth.

Manicurists, technicians and pedicurists, generally offer services like fingernail cleaning or shaping, cuticle softening and polishing and applying different types of nail polish Most of the products they use for this have may dangerous fumes and can pose possible health risks if inhaled for long periods of time. Following good safe handling practices often is not enough to help stop some health risks.

Often people believe that the biggest reason for needing ventilation systems is for easily controlling most strong odors. This however is not the real issue. Generally because something has a bad smell does not always mean it can cause you harm. A common example is burnt popcorn. As bad as it smells it generally will not cause illness. In contrast basic acetone inside most fingernail polish remover has no notable smell yet it can be harmful to you.

Good systems will take the harmful fumes from the your employee's work area and move them outside the building. An effective system must be maintained regularly and cleaned often. A good working system should help keep employees and customers safe from most of the negative effects from harmful inhalants.

There are some things to keep in mind with these systems. A good system helps provide individual protection to each work area in a salon. The best systems will not rely solely on filtering, but will vent to the outside of the building away from any air intakes. Never use fans or open windows as a replacement for a proper ventilation system.

The stock recommended minimum fresh air intake per person in a building is 25 ft per minute. This is a good deal of air and can not be done by just opening windows. Never ventilate to just control odors, do so to control harmful vapors and dust from employees and patrons. The idea is to replace old air with fresh air, not just filter it.

Try starting the system sixty minutes before opening and keep the system running for sixty minutes after the closing up for the day. A timer works very well for this. This will give the system time to replace the stale air at the start and end of the day.

Always read through and understand your home state's cosmetology regulations. Have the most recent version of the MSDS sheets for any products you are using. Put them in an area which is accessible to all your employees. Review them with your employees and ensure they really understand what they are for.

For the best results with your nail salon ventilation system, read and always follow the manufactures instructions. Always check and replace dust and charcoal filters regularly according to these instructions. A safe working environment makes people happy, and happy people work harder.




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