Compensation for Burns at Work: Occupational Risks in Hairdressing and Beauty Salons

In all work environments, there may be mishaps and accidents that are potentially harmful to the worker. These facts are more evident in some jobs than in others because accidents in heavy industry are much more serious, and sometimes fatal, than those that occur in more sedate jobs.

But in the long run, the consequences of an accident at work are equally harmful to those who have suffered them. In this article, we will talk about occupational hazards in hairdressing.

Based on the number of beauty treatment claims which are filed each year, most people might consider that it’s normally the client who is most at risk in a hair or beauty salon, but hairdressers and others working in aesthetics face a host of risks every day at work.

There are occupational risks in hairdressing that we must not forget

One of the jobs which you do not usually think of when you hear the term “accident at work” is that of a hair stylist or beauty therapist. But, as accidents always happen, this job is not exempt, and some of the risks that exist in this world of aesthetics are:

Slips, trips, and falls: One of the most common accidents that can happen in a hairdressing or beauty salon is to lose balance and fall to the ground. This can be caused by hair residues that remain on the floor after attending to a customer, by becoming entangled with the cable of any of the artifacts that are used when working with the hair, or by the presence of spilled liquid that has been left after cleaning the hair or applying some treatment.

For these reasons, order and cleanliness in the work area are fundamental and all types of waste must be meticulously collected after working with each client, to avoid such accidents.

Environmental conditions: Another type of risk that can occur in these work environments is caused by factors less evident to the naked eye; environmental conditions. The excess of cold or heat inside the establishment where the hairdresser works can cause the employee physical reactions that, if not attended to in a timely manner, can trigger health problems.

Bad lighting: This risk is related to the level and quality of the lighting of the establishment because if the light level is very high, eyesight can quickly become fatigued due to the natural instinct to protect oneself from high luminosity. But if the light is very poor, it can make it difficult to identify the exact position of work tools, which can lead to the employee or the client ending up with physical injuries, such as burns, cuts, or worse.

Electrical risks: These are also present in this type of work. Since most appliances for hair treatment need electricity and do not use batteries, it is essential to have enough power points for each workstation. Otherwise, there is a risk of saturating an outlet with too many devices that demand high current and operating them all at the same time can affect the power supply.

In extreme cases, this can cause short circuits, or even fire, affecting the equipment or the employee who is manipulating it, because of the electric arc.

Sharp implements: When handling sharp objects such as scissors, razors, etc. the risk of cuts is also an ever-present danger during the working day in a hairdressing salon.

Heat and chemical burns: Many hair and beauty treatment make use of high heat or chemicals as part of the process. These can also lead to a risk of serious burns on the skin. In fact, claims related to compensation for burns at work are one of the most common types of cases handled by legal specialists in relation to the hairdressing sector of the beauty industry.