Ask the NMC

QUESTION:

I am an independent contractor renting a space in a salon. Who is responsible for providing the disinfectants and/or autoclaves?

ANSWER:
Salon owners have a responsibility to ensure that the services provided are safe and in accordance with state rules and regulations. However, regardless of your work situation, it's up to the nail technician to follow the state's rules and regulations to protect the client's safety. Independent contractors are responsible for providing their own tools and equipment, therefore both the salon owner and nail professional are responsible to ensure the client's safety. It's a good idea to clarify this in writing in the rental contract.

If a salon owner refuses to provide the necessary supplies or tools to ensure that all services are safe, proper and sanitary, this refusal does not relieve the nail professional of her responsibilities. In such a case, the nail professional is required to either provide her own cleaning supplies, disinfectants and/or autoclave, or find employment elsewhere. Under no circumstances are nail professionals allowed to provide services that are not in strict accordance with state board rules and regulations. Of course, you should check your state board for any additional requirements.

QUESTION:
Why are state board regulations written so badly? They are so difficult to understand; how are nail technicians supposed to know what to do?

ANSWER:
That is a difficult question. State boards try to write their regulations to be understandable, but they also have to be phrased correctly in order to be legal. If a nail professional does not understand a rule or regulation, she may not be the only one having difficulty. The NMC recommends that you write to your state board and ask for clarification. This will help the state board understand when nail technicians are confused by the wording of a particular rule or regulation and they can then issue a public communication or advisor statement that will provide a better explanation. This way, all nail professionals will better understand their responsibilities.

QUESTION:
I have a vented nail table with a filter at my salon in New York. I was recently told that my table had to be vented to the outside of the shop through a hose attached to my table. Is this true?

ANSWER:
Proper and effective ventilation is important to working safely with professional salon products. Ventilated nail tables use activated charcoal filters that act like sponges to absorb vapors from the air. Similar to how a sponge becomes filled with water, activated charcoal filters also become saturated with vapors and lose their effectiveness. Thinner beds of activated charcoal become ineffective more quickly than thicker beds.

The NMC recommends that you check your state and local regulations to determine if there are any requirements to vent to the outdoors. If you have a nail table with a filter that is less than 2 inches thick, such filters can quickly lose effectiveness in a short period of time. Ventilating vapors and dusts to the outdoors can overcome this problem and is considered a more effective way to properly ventilate. However, you should consult with a ventilation specialist to ensure this is done properly. You can find a ventilation specialist in the Yellow Pages under the listing "HVAC."

If ventilation to the outdoors is not possible, another solution might be to use a filter that has at least a 4-inch thick bed of activated charcoal. To maintain proper effectiveness, change the filter several times per year and follow the manufacturer's instructions. For more information on improving salon air quality, go to the NMC website and read the brochure co-authored by the NMC and the International Nail Technicians Association (INTA) entitled "Guidelines for Controlling and Minimizing Inhalation Exposure to Nail Products."

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