An Evaluation of Health and Safety Management Practices in the Hairdressing Industry
Products, Product Suppliers And The Cosmetics, Toiletry And Fragrance Association Of New Zealand (Ctfa)
The products and product suppliers are an integral and important part of the Industry.
The possible harm from chemicals is generally recognised within the Industry but unfortunately there is a view that the "harm occurs to other people and not me".
The Cosmetic Group Standard is being developed by ERMA and will be released by 1 July 2006. This Standard controls the manufacture of cosmetics used in the Hairdressing Industry in New Zealand. The cosmetic group standard is based around the HSNO Act 1996 and incorporates many aspects of the EU Cosmetics Directive regarding restrictions on ingredients and labelling.
The collective body of cosmetic product suppliers is the Cosmetics, Toiletry and Fragrance Association of New Zealand (CTFA) and is part of the International CTFA. A sub-group of CTFA is the Salon Marketing Group, which is made up of the main trade name suppliers.
The members of this group visit most of the salons in New Zealand on a regular basis and provide on and off site training in the safe use of their products.
Cosmetic products are also supplied by distributors that supply a full range of goods that a salon could need. These suppliers visit a large number of their customers on a regular basis.
Hairdressers also purchase cosmetics supplies from chemists, supermarkets and the Warehouse.
Observations
- All suppliers set out to meet the needs of their customers and do not have a safety supervisor role.
- Cosmetics supplies purchased by hairdressers from chemists, supermarkets and the Warehouse, are unlikely to have counter staff with safety technical knowledge of the products.
- It appears that all suppliers are selling latex gloves to hairdressers that are a poor chemical barrier and can cause dermatitis.
- There are products with low toxicity ingredients available on the market.
- Safety material is printed on the products and packaging.
- Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for salon hair products were produced and distributed to the salons by the CTFA in July 2003. There is little knowledge of the guide out in the salons. A measure of the transfer of knowledge from the MSD sheets is the lack of knowledge that latex gloves are a poor chemical barrier. The Sheets state not to use latex gloves.
- Little use is made of allergy testing which is strongly promoted by one of the product companies and is required to complete colouring related Unit Standards.
Risks
- The product suppliers are not the hairdressers 'safety keepers'. Safety information is supplied on the product packaging. However most of the purchasers depend on the supplier advising on any likely harm coming from the product and also of the appropriate safety actions to take. Thus if this opportunity to communicate and instruct is not taken, then this can contribute to harm.
Interventions
- Product suppliers could take a greater role in coaching and encouraging on a continuing basis, the safe use of products.
- The product suppliers should withdraw the sale of latex disposable gloves to the hairdressers.
- Latex gloves should be required to state clearly on the packets that latex gloves are a poor chemical barrier and may cause dermatitis.
- Low toxicity products should be promoted as an alternative product to both hairdressers and clients.
- More effective methods of conveying the information in the MSD sheets should be developed and used.
- There is a new patch test for allergy testing that the clients can apply themselves before an appointment.
- The value of allergy testing for hairdressers and clients should be studied and a programme to promote it should be implemented.
- There is a list of research recommendation listed at the end of this report. The CTFA could help with some of these projects.