According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 650,000 jobs in the United States for hairdressers, barbers, and cosmetologists. Tens of thousands of these employees work in New York City and the surrounding tri-state area.

Many of these employees do not realize that working in a hair salon could be dangerous to their health. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently published a Hazard Alert about some hair smoothing products used in salons and beauty schools that could release formaldehyde into the air. The alert was released after OSHA and several State OSHA programs investigating questions and complaints from hair salon owners and workers about potential formaldehyde exposure concerns due to the products they use.

OSHA conducted air sampling at salons and found formaldehyde from various hair smoothing products in the air when stylists were using them. Some of these products were labeled “formaldehyde free” or did not list formaldehyde on the product label or in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). When the product label did not state that the product had formaldehyde in it, OSHA discovered that many hair salon owners using those products did not know that hair smoothing products contain or could expose workers to formaldehyde.

“Products that contain formaldehyde can create an exposure risk anytime they are used, this is especially true in an enclosed space such as a hair salon or beauty school,” said Michael Berrevoets, President, VOETS, LLC. “For workers exposed to formaldehyde on a daily basis it can be a real concern as it is known to cause cancer, respiratory irritation, and other health concerns.”

Formaldehyde exposures can also be a concern in other indoor environments where products containing the chemical are used or where building materials and furnishing may off-gas the chemical into the air that people breathe. In New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, VOETS offers comprehensive indoor environmental quality testing, monitoring, and consulting services for formaldehyde and wide range of other substances. They also recently sponsored an educational video about hair salons and formaldehyde exposure concerns that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/aFCraXk3AiM