Hairdressing sector devises health and safety pact

The European social partners in the hairdressing sector, Coiffure EU for employers and the union UNI Europa Hair & Beauty, signed an agreement on health and safety on 26 April 2012. It covers issues such as the use of chemicals and irritating substances, ergonomics and working time, and will be implemented by a European directive to become binding in Member States. It reinforces protection for pregnant women and calls on suppliers to research ways of producing less harmful products.

Background

Social partners in Europe’s hairdressing sector signed a framework agreement on health and safety in hairdressing (4.6Mb PDF) on 26 April 2012.

The partners, Coiffure EU for employers and the union UNI Europa Hair & Beauty, asked the Commission under Article 155 of the EU Treaty to make the agreement legally binding in all EU Member States, by issuing an EU directive.

The agreement covers workers with an employment contract, self-employed workers and employers. In total, it covers one million workers employed in 400,000 salons across Europe.

Principle of prevention

The agreement endorses the principles of prevention under Framework Directive 89/391. It states that employers must take measures to help employees avoid repeated contact for long periods of time with ‘water and skin-irritating substances that may cause…allergic reactions’ and ‘organise a balance between wet and dry work activities’, only using authorised materials, tools and products which present no danger.

If the use of less dangerous alternatives is not possible, it says the employer should use materials, products and tools in a form that involves low exposure. The substitution principle should apply to a range of materials listed by the signatories, including products used for permanent wave treatments and blonding agents.

A specific clause is devoted to musculoskeletal disorders, calling on employers to organise the rotation of tasks ‘in order to avoid repetitive movements or strenuous work over an extended period of time’.

Apart from complying with legislation on working time, employers should take account of the most recent ergonomic best practices when acquiring new equipment and tools. As an example, the parties make it clear that handheld hair dryers must be as light, quiet and low in vibration as possible without this affecting their technical efficiency.

The signatory parties also recommend that employees consult a doctor of their choice or an occupational physician as soon as they experience symptoms such as recurrent pain, numbness or tingling.

Working environment

The agreement contains detailed recommendations to ensure a healthy and safe working environment. The employer must provide sufficient space for workers, equip salons with floor coverings that are non-slip, ensure that hairdressing rooms are properly ventilated, and provide an appropriate complementary ventilation system at special workstations for mixing or transferring chemical substances.

Further, employers should ensure that both working time and the organisation of tasks are appropriately planned, to optimise resource management and prevent ‘emotional collapses’.

Protection of maternity

The text reinforces the protection of pregnant women in accordance with Directive 92/85/EEC, national legislation and collective agreements.

It says that where any doubt about a particular task exists, a doctor should be consulted to decide which tasks are dangerous. The employer must abide by the doctor’s decision, but in cases of reasonable doubt the employer can ask a pregnant employee to consult another doctor. If the doctor prohibits certain activities, the employer shall take the necessary measures to organise work and assign such tasks to other workers.

Individual and collective protection

The agreement contains specific individual and collective protection measures. Individual measures include wearing shoes with non-slip soles, not leaving aqueous solutions containing irritating substances or preparations to dry on the skin, and not drying hands with customers' towels to prevent involuntary contact with hairdressing chemicals.

Collective measures include workers not eating or smoking in the workplace and obliging employers to provide protective gloves, as well as ensuring that tools are cleaned and disinfected systematically.

Additional declaration

The parties also adopted a declaration on health and safety in the hairdressing sector (2Mb PDF) supplementing the framework agreement, addressed to stakeholders such as the cosmetic industry and manufacturers of other substances used in the sector.

It calls on stakeholders to step up research into substances that are less harmful to the skin and respiratory tract than those commonly used in the sector now, and on manufacturers to provide required information on the use and risks of salon products.

It also calls on the supplier industry to take greater account of ergonomic principles in product development and to intensify its ergonomic research. The parties also make a commitment to integrate the principles of the agreement into training.

Commentary

This is without doubt an important sectoral agreement. In its press release, the European Commission stresses that the costs of implementing the agreed prevention measures are low, less than €0.5 per customer or just over 1% of the annual turnover of an average salon.

The Commission also stated that the benefits are clear for employers and workers alike in lowering sick leave and absence, reducing staff turnover and reducing treatment and follow-up costs for health systems in treating occupational disease.

Frédéric Turlan, HERA, IRshare