Press Releases at EMSL

Cinnaminson, NJ, September 26th, 2016  

This summer, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced new ventilation requirements for approximately 5,000 nail salons across the state. The ventilation requirements are meant to protect workers and customers from potentially harmful chemical gases and vapors.

New salons that open on October 3^rd or later are required to comply with the ventilation standards from the 2015 International Mechanical Code.  Existing salons have five years to meet the standard.

Just last year, The New York Times published an article about health concerns for workers in nail salons.  The article described that everything from respiratory and skin ailments to cancer and miscarriages are believed to be associated with exposure to chemicals used in the industry.

Nationwide, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) reports that there are more than 375,000 nail technicians and that these workers that are exposed to chemicals found in glues, polishes, removers, emollients and other salon products may experience negative health effects such as asthma and other respiratory illnesses, skin disorders, liver disease, reproductive loss and cancer. OSHA lists a number of the potentially hazardous chemicals found in nail salon products. The list includes acetone, acetonitrile, butyl acetate, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), ethyl acetate, ethyl methacrylate (EMA), formaldehyde, isopropyl acetate, methacrylic acid, methyl methacrylate (MMA), quaternary ammonium compounds and toluene.

“The new ventilation requirements in New York are good news for thousands of workers in the state,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President, Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc.  “Other states will likely follow these important improvements that directly impact the indoor air quality that both workers and customers are exposed to in these businesses.”

EMSL Analytical, Inc. identifies chemical hazards in nail salons, beauty parlors and all types of businesses. They provide analytical services and sampling supplies to test for indoor air quality (IAQ) pollutants to protect people from airborne hazards. EMSL has also sponsored an educational video about nail salons and chemical exposure concerns that can be seen at: http://youtu.be/pR-S93VOaTY.

To learn more about this or other indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, health and safety testing services, please visit www.EMSL.com, email info@EMSL.com or call (800) 220-3675.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.

EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental, indoor air quality and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.