COSHH for Hairdressers: What Salon Owners Need to Know

Do Hairdressers Need COSHH Assessments?

Yes. Every hair salon that employs staff must comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. If your stylists handle hair colour, bleach, perm solutions, keratin treatments, or cleaning products, you need written COSHH assessments for each one.

This applies whether you run a single chair in a rented unit or a chain of 20 salons. The Health and Safety Executive does not make exceptions for small businesses — the obligation is the same.

Common Hazardous Substances in Salons

Most salons use 10-15 products that require COSHH assessments. Here are the most common:

Hair Colour (Permanent and Semi-Permanent)

Permanent hair colour typically contains p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) or related chemicals. PPD is a potent skin sensitiser — repeated unprotected contact can cause allergic contact dermatitis. Once a stylist becomes sensitised, they may have to stop handling colour products entirely. This is a career-ending injury if not caught early.

Key controls: Nitrile gloves for every application (latex gloves do not provide adequate protection against PPD). Change gloves between clients. Never mix colour bare-handed, even briefly.

Bleach and Lightening Products

Bleach powders contain persulphates (potassium, ammonium, or sodium persulphate), which are respiratory sensitisers. Inhaling bleach dust during mixing can cause occupational asthma.

Key controls: Mix in a well-ventilated area (not a back room with no windows). Use a mixing bowl, not a shaker that creates airborne dust. Wear a disposable FFP2 mask when scooping bleach powder. Wipe down the mixing area after use.

Perm Solutions

Contain thioglycolates (ammonium thioglycolate) — irritant to skin and eyes, with a strong ammonia-like odour.

Key controls: Gloves throughout the perming process. Work in a ventilated area. Replace gloves if torn or contaminated during the rod-wrapping process.

Keratin and Smoothing Treatments

Some formulations release formaldehyde when heated — a known carcinogen and respiratory irritant. Even products labelled "formaldehyde-free" may contain methylene glycol, which converts to formaldehyde at high temperatures.

Key controls: Check the SDS carefully before using any smoothing treatment. Use only in well-ventilated areas. If the SDS lists formaldehyde or methylene glycol, arrange air monitoring to check exposure levels. Consider switching to a genuinely formaldehyde-free alternative.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Products

Barbicide, surface disinfectants, and general cleaning products are COSHH substances too. They often contain quaternary ammonium compounds or bleach-based formulations.

Key controls: Dilute according to manufacturer instructions (do not use neat). Wear gloves. Ensure good ventilation when using spray disinfectants.

Nail Products (If Offered)

Acrylic liquid (methyl methacrylate or ethyl methacrylate), acetone, and gel polish removers are all COSHH substances. Acrylic dust is an additional hazard.

Key controls: Local exhaust ventilation at the nail station (a small desk-mounted extractor). Gloves for acetone and acrylic liquid. Dust extraction for filing.

How to Write a COSHH Assessment for Your Salon

The process is the same as any other workplace, but salon-specific considerations matter. For a detailed step-by-step walkthrough, see our guide on how to do a COSHH assessment.

1. Gather Your Safety Data Sheets

Contact your product suppliers (your colour range distributor, your wholesale supplier) and request the current SDS for every product you use. Most professional brands have these available to download from their trade websites.

2. List Every Product and Task

Group your assessments by task rather than just by product:

"Mixing and applying permanent hair colour using [Brand] Professional Colour"
"Mixing and applying bleach lightener using [Brand] Bleach Powder"
"Disinfecting tools and workstations using Barbicide"

Task-based assessments are more practical because they describe how the substance is actually used in your salon.

3. Identify Who Is at Risk

In a typical salon:

Stylists — highest exposure. Handling colour, bleach, and perm solutions 6-12 times per day.
Junior stylists and trainees — often given washing-out duties without adequate gloves or training.
Receptionists — low risk, but still exposed to airborne ammonia or bleach dust if the salon is open-plan.
Clients — skin exposure during treatments. Client patch testing is a control measure for colour, not a replacement for your workplace COSHH assessment.

4. Record Controls and Actions

Document what you are already doing and what you need to improve. Common gaps in salons:

Gloves not changed between clients — cross-contamination risk and reduced protection
No ventilation at mixing stations — especially in salons where mixing happens in a cupboard-sized back room
Trainees not trained before handling chemicals — COSHH requires training before first exposure, not after
No skin checks — stylists often ignore early signs of dermatitis until the problem becomes serious

5. Set Review Dates

Review each assessment annually, or sooner if you change products, suppliers, or procedures. Set a calendar reminder — or better, use a system that reminds you automatically.

Occupational Dermatitis: The Biggest Risk in Hairdressing

Occupational skin disease is the number one health problem in hairdressing. Research shows that up to 70% of hairdressers develop work-related skin problems at some point in their career.

The main causes are:

Wet work — frequent hand washing and prolonged contact with water weakens the skin barrier
Chemical exposure — PPD, bleach, perm solutions, and cleaning products strip natural oils from the skin
Inadequate gloves — wrong type, wrong size, or not worn consistently

Early signs: dry, red, cracked skin on the hands and between the fingers. If caught early, occupational dermatitis is manageable with better glove discipline, moisturising, and reduced wet work. If ignored, it can become chronic and disabling.

Your COSHH assessment should include skin checks. A simple monthly visual check of each stylist's hands — documented with date and result — demonstrates active management and catches problems before they escalate.

What Happens If Your Salon Is Inspected?

HSE or local authority environmental health officers can visit your salon without notice. They will typically ask to see:

Your COSHH assessments (one per substance or task)
Your Safety Data Sheets (one per product)
Evidence that staff have been trained on the risks and controls
Evidence that you have reviewed your assessments

If your assessments are missing, out of date, or obviously generic (copied from the internet without adapting to your salon), the inspector can issue an improvement notice. This gives you a deadline to get compliant — and it goes on your record. Repeated or serious failures can lead to prosecution and fines.

Getting Your Salon COSHH-Compliant

Here is a realistic plan to get compliant from scratch:

Day 1: List every chemical product in the salon. Request any missing SDS from suppliers.
Day 2-3: Write assessments for your highest-risk products first (colour, bleach, perm solutions).
Day 4-5: Complete assessments for remaining products (cleaners, disinfectants, nail products).
Day 5: Brief your team on the key findings. Document the training.
Ongoing: Monthly skin checks. Annual assessment reviews. Update when products change.

If doing this on paper or in Word feels like a burden, COSHHmate is built for exactly this situation. You get a guided builder that walks you through every required field, a chemical register of every product across your salon(s), and automatic email reminders before review dates.

Pricing is a flat monthly fee with no per-user charges — so your entire team can access the assessments without adding to the cost. Create a free account and complete your first assessment in minutes.

For a worked example of a hair colour COSHH assessment, see our COSHH risk assessment examples.