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COSHH and beauticians - key messages

  • Some ingredients in beauty and cleaning products can irritate the skin leading to dermatitis (eg solvents in nail varnish removers).
  • Some ingredients can cause skin allergies and asthma (eg liquids and powders in acrylic systems for artificial nails).
  • Dust filings from artificial nails can cause wheezing, chest tightness and asthma.
  • Acrylic fumes can cause headaches, dizziness and nausea.
  • Contact with blood and tissue residues from piercing or tattooing can cause infection.

There are simple things you can do to prevent ill health.

Preventing exposure to harmful substances usually means a combination of some of the following controls:

  • Keep the workplace well ventilated.
  • Use good work techniques that avoid or minimise contact with harmful substances and minimise leaks and spills.
  • Practice good hand care – remove contamination promptly, wash hands properly, dry thoroughly and moisturise regularly.
  • Provide an extractor hood or down draught table for nail work.
  • For some tasks, you may also need to provide personal protective equipment like protective gloves, aprons and eye protection.

The controls you need will depend on the task or treatment. Click the links below for more specific information.

Link URLs in this page

  1. COSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/index.htm
  2. COSHH overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/index.htm
  3. What is a ‘substance hazardous to health’?https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/substance.htm
  4. I’m self-employed. Does this apply to me?https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/selfemployed.htm
  5. What you need to dohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/whatdo.htm
  6. COSHH assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/assessment.htm
  7. Substitutionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/substitution.htm
  8. Exposure limitshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/exposurelimits.htm
  9. Chemical safety data sheetshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/datasheets.htm
  10. Control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/control.htm
  11. Permits to workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/permits.htm
  12. Personal protective equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/ppe.htm
  13. Monitoringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/monitoring.htm
  14. Health surveillancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/surveillance.htm
  15. Training for employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/training.htm
  16. Emergencieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/emergencies.htm
  17. Detailed overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/detail/index.htm
  18. COSHH, CLP and REACHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/detail/coshh-clp-reach.htm
  19. REACH and COSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/detail/reach.htm
  20. Principles of good practicehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/detail/goodpractice.htm
  21. Overview - Your industryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/index.htm
  22. Agriculturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/agriculture.htm
  23. Bakinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/baking.htm
  24. Beautyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/beauty.htm
  25. Cateringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/catering.htm
  26. Cleaninghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/cleaning.htm
  27. Engineeringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/engineering.htm
  28. Fumigationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/fumigation.htm
  29. Hairdressinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/hairdressing.htm
  30. Offshore oil and gashttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/offshore.htm
  31. Printinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/printing.htm
  32. Motor vehicle repairhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/mvr.htm
  33. Weldinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/welding.htm
  34. Woodworkinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/woodworking.htm
  35. Frequently asked questionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/faq.htm
  36. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/resources.htm
  37. COSHH Essentialshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/essentials/index.htm
  38. Overview - Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/index.htm
  39. Soldererhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/solder.htm
  40. Bakerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/baker.htm
  41. Cookhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/cook.htm
  42. Weldershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/welder.htm
  43. Isocyanateshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/isocyanates.htm
  44. Dermatitishttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/dermatitis.htm
  45. Overview - Example risk assessmentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/index.htm
  46. Officehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/office.htm
  47. DIY shop https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/diyshop.htm
  48. Workshop https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/workshop.htm
  49. Engineer https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/engineer.htm
  50. Sandwich makerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/sandwichmaker.htm
  51. Garden centrehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/gardencentre.htm
  52. Paving companyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/paving.htm
  53. Feed mill https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/feedmill.htm
  54. Die caster https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/diecaster.htm
  55. Electronicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/electronics.htm
  56. Fruit farmhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/fruitfarm.htm
  57. Warehousehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/warehouse.htm
  58. Further informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/furtherinfo.htm
  59. Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/publications.htm
  60. Research reportshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/research-reports.htm
  61. SR12 Electrolysis, piercing, tattooing and micro-pigmentation: General ventilationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/sr12.pdf
  62. SR13 Nail bars: Engineering controlshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/sr13.pdf
  63. EH40/2005 Workplace exposure limitshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/eh40.htm
  64. Working with substances hazardous to health: A brief guide to COSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg136.htm
  65. COSHH Essentialshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/essentials/index.htm
  66. Case studies (Examples of real life situations with COSHH)https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/index.htm
  67. Example risk assessments (Use these to get ideas for completing assessments)https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/index.htm
  68. Nanotechnologyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/nanotechnology/index.htm
  69. Risk assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm
  70. Local exhaust ventilation micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/lev/index.htm
  71. Chemicals micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/chemicals/index.htm

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2025-02-25