A Breath Of Fresh Air: New York’s Historic Ventilation Regs In Nail Salons
Ventilation regulations aren’t what the average person associates with a safe and healthy workplace. But for nail salon workers, who are breathing in a toxic cocktail of chemicals every day on the job, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s recent executive order requiring ventilation in nail salons is a life saver.
After the Governor’s historic nail salon legislation passed last year advocates immediately received a flood of inquiries from workers about health and safety in their salons. The standout was a young immigrant woman from Mexico who shared her worries over her first born son’s health, who was born with birth deficiencies. She had worked in the salon during her pregnancy and was pregnant again, afraid of the impact that the toxins in her salon would have on her unborn son. Each nail salon worker has her own stories of labored breathing, lingering coughs, or knows coworkers who experienced severe health issues due to prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals. Conscientious nail salon owners and consumers have realized this is about their health too.
