Executive
Example risk assessment for a hairdressing salon
Setting the scene
How was the risk assessment done?
The salon owner carried out the risk assessment in their business, which employs eight staff, working a variety of full- and part-time shifts.
The manager followed the guidance in Five steps to risk assessment (www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg163.pdf).
2 The owner then wrote down who could be harmed by the hazards and how.
1 To identify the hazards, the salon owner:
3 For each hazard, the owner wrote down what controls, if any, were in place to manage these hazards. She then compared these controls to the guidance she had read. Where existing controls were not good enough, the owner wrote down what else needed to be done to control the risks.
The salon is open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, six days a week. The premises consist of the salon, a stock room and a staff room with chairs, a kettle and a fridge.
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Important reminder
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This example risk assessment is to show you the kind of approach a small business can take. Use it as a guide to think through the hazards in your salon and the steps you need to take to control the risks.
It is not a generic risk assessment that you can just put your company name on and adopt wholesale without any thought. That would not satisfy the law
– and would not be effective in protecting people.
Every business is different – you need to think through the hazards in your premises and the controls you need for yourself.
Example risk assessment: Hairdressing salon
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looked at HSE’s Essentials of health and safety at work publication, to learn where hazards can occur, ‘A
Guide to the Health and Safety of Salon Hair Products’ provided by her supplier, and HSE’s ‘Bad Hand Day’ web pages on dermatitis; walked around the salon, the stock room and all other areas, noting things that might pose a risk and thinking about what was in the HSE guidance. Occasional activities, such as receiving deliveries and stacking stock, were also taken into account; talked to the staff to about health and safety issues and concerns in the salon; looked at the accident book, to understand what has previously resulted in incidents.
4 Putting the risk assessment into practice, the owner discussed the findings with staff and pinned the risk assessment up on the notice board for all staff to see.
5 The owner decided to review and update the risk assessment every year, or straightaway if major changes happened at the salon.
With thanks to the National Hairdressing Federation, Habia, Jackie Hewson at Wella Professionals and Ann Seviour, Occupational
Health and Safety Officer, Guildford Borough Council, for their help in developing this example risk assessment.
1 of 4 pages
Health and Safety
Executive
Company name: Smith’s Hair Salon Date of risk assessment: 1/7/07
What are the hazards?
Who might be harmed and how?
Wet hand work, eg washing hair, working with wet hair
Staff may suffer from dermatitis, increased sensitivity, severely dry skin What are you already doing?
Action by whom? Action by when? Done
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Hairdressing products and chemicals All products, eg bleaches, colouring, perm solutions, sterilising liquid, cleaning chemicals (see below for specific additional precautions) Lightening (bleach) product Hydrogen peroxide
(developer/neutraliser)
Oxidative colourants
Staff and customers may get eye or skin irritation
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Staff will wear gloves for all wet work.
Owner and staff
15/7/07
11/7/07
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Owner will get different size gloves, to fit all staff.
Owner and staff
15/7/07
11/7/07
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Staff will be asked to remove hand jewellery at beginning of shift.
Owner and staff
15/7/07
11/7/07
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Non-latex gloves are provided if staff want them. Staff are trained to dry their