OSHA Hazard Communication in the Salon | SDS and Right-to-Know | SalonExam

OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom 2012)

The Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom 2012) aligned the United States with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for chemical hazard classification. Every employer who uses hazardous chemicals must implement a written HazCom program. In a salon, this means maintaining Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for every chemical product and ensuring all employees can access them.

Employee Right-to-Know

Under HazCom, employees have three rights:

1. The right to know which hazardous chemicals are present in their workplace.
2. The right to access SDS for all chemicals in the workplace at any time during the work shift.
3. The right to receive training on chemical hazards, labeling, and safe handling.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS): 16 Sections

Every SDS follows the same 16-section format under GHS. Know the sections most likely to appear on exams:

GHS Pictograms

The GHS uses 9 standardized pictograms. Eight are commonly tested for cosmetologists:

• Flame: Flammable (acetone, alcohol)
• Exclamation mark: Irritant, harmful
• Health hazard: Carcinogen, respiratory sensitizer
• Skull and crossbones: Acute toxicity (high hazard)
• Corrosion: Skin/eye corrosion (acid primer, bleach)
• Environment: Aquatic hazard
• Exploding bomb: Explosive
• Flame over circle: Oxidizer

Ventilation in Nail Salons

Methacrylate monomer vapors (from acrylic liquid), acetone, and formaldehyde-releasing products are common in nail salons. Adequate ventilation is required:

• Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) at the nail table is the most effective method: captures vapors at the source before they reach breathing zones.
• General dilution ventilation (open windows, HVAC) alone is often insufficient for high-traffic nail salons.
• Section 8 of the SDS specifies the ventilation type required for each product.