Image via Wikipedia

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a hazard alert regarding hair smoothing products.  You can find this alert at OSHA’s website titled “Hair Smoothing Products That Can Release Formaldehyde“.  During Federal OSHA investigations, air tests showed formaldehyde at
levels above OSHA’s limits (of 0.5 ppm during an 8-hour work shift or 2 ppm during any 15-minute period) for formaldehyde in salons using Brazilian Blowout Acai
Professional Smoothing Solution, labeled “formaldehyde free,” and Brasil
Cacau Cadiveu, resulting in violations and citations to the manufacturers and distributors of the products.  The violations included failing to list formaldehyde as a hazardous
ingredient on the Material Safety Data Sheet (the hazard warning sheet) provided to
downstream users (e.g., salon owners, stylists), failing to include
proper hazard warnings on product labels, and failing to list the
health effects of formaldehyde exposure on the MSDS.
Formaldehyde is a colorless, strong-smelling gas that presents a health
hazard if workers are exposed.  You can be exposed to formaldehyde if
you breathe it into your lungs, if it gets into your eyes, or if it is
contained in a product that gets onto your skin.  You can also be
exposed accidentally if you touch your face, eat food, or drink after
using a product containing formaldehyde without first washing your
hands.  It can irritate the eyes and nose, and cause coughing and
wheezing.  Formaldehyde is a “sensitizer,” which means that it can cause
allergic reactions of the skin, eyes, and lungs such as asthma-like
breathing problems and skin rashes and itching.  When formaldehyde is in
a product that gets sprayed into the eyes, it can damage the eyes and
cause blindness.  It is also a carcinogen.
It is important to realize that though the product may be labeled as formaldehyde free, formaldehyde might be listed as methylene glycol, formalin, methylene
oxide, paraform, formic aldehyde, methanal, oxomethane, oxymethylene,
or CAS Number 50-00-0.  All of these are names for formaldehyde under
OSHA’s formaldehyde standard.  There are also chemicals, such as
timonacic acid (also called thiazolidinecarboxylic acid) that can
release formaldehyde under certain conditions, such as those present
during the hair smoothing treatment process.  Formaldehyde can be released from hair smoothing products that list any
of these names on the label and workers can breathe it in or absorb it
through their skin.  Workers can be exposed to formaldehyde during the
entire hair straightening process, especially when heat is applied
(e.g. blow-drying, flat ironing).

• Give employees appropriate gloves and other personal protective
  equipment (e.g., face shield, chemical splash goggles,
  chemical-resistant aprons) and train them on how to use this equipment
  while mixing and applying the products;
• Explain to workers how to read and understand the information on a product’s label and MSDS;
• Make sure the workplace has eye and skin washing equipment if
  products that contain formaldehyde could be splashed onto the workers’
  skin or into their eyes;
• Train workers how to safely clean up spills and properly throw products out; and
• Get workers the right medical attention (e.g., doctor exams) if they
  develop signs and symptoms of an exposure to formaldehyde or are
  exposed to large amounts of formaldehyde during an emergency (e.g., a
  large spill).

Contact Future Environment Designs and we can help you with any of the above items.  Give us a call, if you think workers may be exposed to above the OSHA formaldehyde standard and you need air testing to ensure compliance with the air quality standards.  We are here to help.