Risks of lumbar pain and contamination are just some of the hazards that beauticians face. The Simone Beauty Institute has decided to give its entire workforce training on the Beauticians' Code.

The task

The primary tasks of the staff of the Simone Beauty Institute comprise an extended range of care treatments for the face and the body. The beauticians also administer very specific care such as the treatment of acne vulgaris and acne rosacea, electrical or laser depilation, disguising of scars and other blemishes, massage to improve the circulation, and so on. The beautician provides these treatments standing or sitting but most often bent forward.

The ongoing contact with customers who have come to be cared for and beautified, requires being able not only to perform the care but also to adapt constantly to the different personalities encountered among the clients. The beautician has to look good, to be constantly smiling and in a good mood, to be available for the clients, and to listen to them. It is a profession which makes great demands on the physical and psychological resistance of workers.

The risks

Like most beauty institutes, we discern two kinds of major hazards: first, there are ergonomic hazards, e.g. backache and/or pulling a muscle due to poor posture, eye strain due to extended concentration, and neck pain. There may also be problems with veins because of extended periods of standing.

The work particularly requires use of the dorsolumbar spine and the upper limbs, and the treatment tables (often non-adjustable) do not improve the situation. In addition, there are risks of contamination (the chance of contracting a contagious disease, for example) which could occur when blood or pus runs from a client's cut.

Moreover, other risks can arise in a beauty parlour, such as the risks of allergic or irritation dermatitis from the products used for certain treatment and from the repeated washing of hands. There is also the physical discomfort that can be caused by too high a temperature, a lack of ventilation, and high humidity.

Another problem arises because the beautician often works in small, dark, and windowless rooms (with no opening to the outside) and because the working hours are frequently long and variable, and breaks are not fixed.

The solution and methodology

An analysis of the key points (checklist) was carried out with the help of the employees. The checklist of the Beautician’s Code served as the model. The risks of lumbar pain and contamination were demonstrated. Solutions were sought to eliminate these risks.

To counter back and neck pain, the Institute opted for treatment chairs/tables that could be adjusted in height using an electrical system.

Moreover, all the beauticians attended a training course on the Beautician’s Code at 'Anbos' (a Dutch organisation representing the interests of beauticians). This Code represents the standard in this sector with regard to quality of employment, hygiene, working conditions and the environment, as well as practice, training, and management.

The specialised treatments are now administered in the way recommended in the Beautician's Code.

All the employees of the Institute have also been vaccinated against the contraction of Hepatitis B.

The effectiveness and results

Since the acquisition of the new treatment tables, the employees have had fewer instances of backache.
All the beauty parlours should perform a 'key-point' analysis, take the training course on the Code, and work according to its rules, and lastly obtain a certificate.

The costs and the benefits

The costs and benefits are difficult to gauge and assess in statistical terms. But it can be said that investing in training and equipment has had a positive effect on working conditions, customer contact, and the general image of the beauty parlour.

Entrepreneur’s Testimony "Our enterprise/beauty salon is characterised by the fact that we work according to the Beautician’s Code. This is a mark of quality in safety, health, and the environment, both for the staff and for the clients."