A Feasibility Intervention Study to Reduce Chemical Exposures in Nail Salons

Background: Nail salon workers routinely handle cosmetic products that contain many hazardous compounds including carcinogens, endocrine disruptors and respiratory irritants. In California, there are approximately 114,000 nail technicians; primarily Vietnamese immigrants. Yet, there is limited accessible information on safety precautions and guidelines that salon workers and owners can take to minimize chemical exposures. Methods: We conducted a pilot single-arm culturally-appropriate intervention to promote ways for reducing workplace exposures (e.g. safer alternatives, ventilation, product handling and storage, and protective equipment). We trained 8 Vietnamese owners from different nail salons in San Francisco Bay Area, who then trained their Vietnamese workers (n=24). Each worker contributed pre-and post-intervention measurements (administered survey and personal air monitors 3M OVM 3500). We examined changes in worker knowledge, behavior and work-related health symptoms, as well as measured levels of three volatile compounds. Results: Workers showed statistically significant improvements in knowledge around harmful chemicals (+50% mean change); increases in safety practices (wearing gloves: +42.8% mean change, wearing N95 masks: +51.1% mean change); and decreases in nose, throat and skin irritation (-23.3% mean change). We found salon-level decreases in methyl methacrylate (-37% mean change) and total volatile organic compounds (-10% mean change), but an increase in toluene (+58% mean change), although none were statistically significant. Conclusions: Culturally-appropriate worker health and safety education that is disseminated through salon owners to their workers can improve worker knowledge, behavior, specific occupational-related health symptoms, and workplace exposures for selected air contaminants. Future research is needed to examine the effectiveness of this owner-to-worker approach.