How to take care of personal health & safety in the workplace

As well as ensuring the safety of clients, it is equally as important to take care of your own health & safety in the workplace. This includes maintaining a comfortable working environment, personal health and knowing when yo draw the line when it comes to treatments.

“A small friction burn from a file that is an open wound could easily lead to bodily contact transference with your client, should they also have an open wound, if you were both bleeding or the wound was open and seeping,” explains Liz Richards, national sales and education manager for Cuccio Europe. “It is an integral part of your business that if a client comes to you with open wounds in your working area., that you do not commence with the treatment until it is healed. You must have maximum precautions in place to ensure your safety. Ensure you always have disposable gloves and throw them away after every client should you need them. Keep your open wounds completely covered at all times.”

Personal comfort is something that can be often overlooked when we’re overwhelmed by the world of safety, but is vital to your working practice and environment. A busy technician can often be sitting in the same place for up to 12 hours with very few breaks. A technician must feel comfortable when performing treatments, preventing strain or further serious injury, which could jeopardise future work.

“There are several exercises that a technician can do at various times throughout the day, but, at all times sitting in the safest position and staying relaxed is essential advice,” – Marian Newman.

“A chair must have the correct support for the user,” says Marian Newman in The Complete Nail Technician: Fourth Edition. “The seat should be padded and of a depth that supports the legs. The tilt of the seat also affects how we sit. The backrest should give support to the back and the combination of the back and seat should encourage the user to sit upright with a slight hollow in the lower back. Technicians are forced to work in a very unnatural position, leaning forward with the head looking down. This puts great strain on the back and neck. Every technician should be aware that this position causes stress in the neck and shoulders and could lead to severe problems in later years.”

When practicing nail services, posture is paramount. The upper body needs to be square to the desk with the back straight and only a slight tilt forward. The shoulders should be kept relaxed and the neck should not be bent too much. Marian advises, “There are several exercises that a technician can do at various times throughout the day, but, at all times sitting in the safest position and staying relaxed is essential advice.”

Check out more hygiene and safety tips in the February issue of Scratch!