An investigative piece in the New York Times on the working conditions of some East Coast nail salon employees is reminiscent of complaints that cropped up in the Bay Area about a decade ago.
The Times' report revealed the deplorable conditions under which some New York nail salon employees are forced to work and the health risks of the job itself. In response, New York governor Andrew Cuomo assembled an emergency task force to investigate the city’s salons.
California started taking action against similar issues roughly 10 years ago, but hasn't made much progress. According to the Times article, many manicurists in Oakland began experiencing health problems, prompting the Asian Health Services organization to investigate.
In 2005, California lawmakers attempted to introduce legislation that would ban toxic chemicals from cosmetics used in salons, but the measure that eventually passed required disclosure of hazardous chemicals as opposed to a complete ban.
However, disclosure alone doesn’t appear to be completely effective. Studies conducted in 2010 and 2012 by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Department of Toxic Substance Control found that some products still contained chemicals that were supposedly not included, according to their labels.
When legislation wasn’t successful, the California advocates created the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative in order to “improve the health, safety and rights of the nail and beauty care workforce.” Only 55 salons – out of several thousand in the state – have taken the measures necessary to participate, such as wearing gloves and discarding certain products.
To find a participating salon in the Bay Area, click here.
