Neck and back pain, toxic chemical inhalation, skin irritation... Sounds like the effects of working in a Third World sweatshop.

Actually, it’s a list of daily hazards faced by hairdressers in modern, well-equipped salons.

According to the president of the Hair and Beauty Federation, Corinne Farrugia, many hairdressers do not carry out risk assessments for such hazards because they are not aware of their legal obligations to do so.

An EU framework directive on occupational health and safety, which is part of Maltese law, obliges all employers to take measures to protect their workers.

She was speaking during a half-day seminar organised by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority for hairdressers at the Dolmen Hotel in Qawra.

The event aimed to raise awareness about health and safety issues and brief hairdressers about an agreement signed by EU social partners in April. There are about 3,000 small hairdressing businesses on the island and most employ fewer than five people.

Guido Schwarz, a policy officer from the European Commission, explained that the agreement aimed to guide hairdressers on how to improve health and safety.

So far, it is not legally binding, as the Commission must still decide whether it should become a directive. The agreement is aimed at the safety of workers, not clients.

Mr Schwarz said health hazards faced by hairdressers included muscle aches, such as neck and back pains, from spending long hours on their feet and in strenuous positions.

Other risks were posed by chemicals like dyes and bleaches that could be inhaled or cause skin irritations. In fact, hairdressers were 30 times more likely to develop skin conditions than other workers, he said.

By identifying the risks intheir salons, hairdresserscould take preventative measures that could include having height-adjustable chairs to reduce muscle strain, encour-aging good posture andcomfortable footwear.

They could also select the least toxic chemicals, promote the use of gloves and ensure there was good ventilation in the salon.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.