Salon COSHH Checklist for Hairdressers: Wet Work, Gloves and Product Exposure

Direct answer: A useful salon chemical-safety checklist starts with the actual tasks and products, then records how staff may be exposed and what controls are in place. UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance highlights frequent water and shampoo contact, some hair and cleaning products, persulphate or henna dust, and certain sprays as possible skin or respiratory hazards. The guidance is UK workplace material; it is not a ready-made assessment for every salon or jurisdiction.

Source record: HSE, “COSHH and hairdressers — key messages” (page dated 3 July 2025) and “How to carry out a COSHH risk assessment.” These sources describe workplace controls and assessment steps, not a clinical diagnosis or an evaluation of a specific salon.

Start with a task, not a generic product list

List recurring jobs such as shampooing, colouring, bleaching, mixing powdered lightener, cleaning work surfaces and using sprays. For each job, note the product name, label and safety data sheet (SDS) where available; who performs it; how often and for how long; and whether contact may occur through skin, splashes, dust, mist or vapour. HSE says an SDS helps identify hazards, but the risk assessment must consider the work practice and exposure too.

Practical control record

1. Wet work: note repeated washing and shampoo contact. HSE recommends drying hands thoroughly, moisturising and checking skin for early problems.
2. Gloves: record the glove type chosen for the task, fit and replacement routine. HSE’s hairdressing page advises disposable non-latex gloves for shampooing, colouring and bleaching, and changing gloves between clients.
3. Dust and sprays: identify dusty products such as persulphates and henna, and products used as sprays. Record ventilation and handling steps that reduce exposure; do not assume an open window measures or proves adequate air control.
4. Work surface and storage: record where products are mixed and stored, how spills are handled, and how staff avoid skin contact or unnecessary dust.
5. Review triggers: revisit the record when staff, products, equipment, processes or incidents change. Assign an owner and review date for each corrective action.

What a salon checklist cannot prove

A written checklist does not prove that a control works in practice, that a particular product is safe for every person, or that a worker’s skin or breathing symptoms have a specific cause. HSE advises identifying hazards from product labels and SDSs, evaluating exposure routes and duration, selecting controls, informing staff, and reviewing the assessment. If a worker has symptoms, a clinician or occupational-health professional is the right source for individual assessment.

HSE’s recommendations are framed for the UK COSHH system. Salons elsewhere should check local occupational-safety rules and product instructions, and adapt the assessment to their products, ventilation and tasks.

Primary sources

• UK HSE: COSHH and hairdressers — key messages — wet work, product and dust risks; hand-care, glove and ventilation suggestions.
• UK HSE: How to carry out a COSHH risk assessment — hazards, exposure routes, controls, records and review triggers.

Editorial note: Sources checked 16 October 2026. No salon was visited, no staff exposure was measured and no product was tested.