Guide

Risk assessment in a barber or hairdressing salon

A small workplace does not mean small risk: chemicals, constant standing and sharp tools share the same few square metres.

Confirm the hazard class first

The depth of the assessment and the renewal interval follow from the workplace's hazard class. The class depends on the activity code and is not guessed; read it from the hazard class query tool on this site.

Chemical exposure

Dyes, bleaches, perms and keratin products are met through the airway and by skin contact. The exposure is not one-off but repeated through the day, which is why ventilation adequacy and glove use are decisive. Safety data sheets for the products must be accessible.

Skin problems

Frequent water contact and wet work are a known cause of hand eczema. This is the ground for an occupational disease that can end a career, and it is prevented early.

Posture and repetition

Standing for long periods, holding the arm at shoulder height and repeated use of scissors load the neck, shoulder and wrist. Making the chair height adjustable reduces that load directly.

Sharps and hygiene

Razors, scissors and blades carry a risk of blood-borne transmission alongside cuts. Single-use tips, the disinfection routine and the sharps container are each assessed separately.

In Optifora

The risk assessment module gives this setting's hazard list as a starting point; you correct it with what you see on site, score it, and tie the control to a task with an owner. When the renewal date approaches, the reminder arrives on its own.

  1. Set the class and scopeConfirm the hazard class from the activity code and write down the areas to be assessed.
  2. Walk the siteWalk every area at the hour the work is done; ask the workers what they struggle with.
  3. Record the hazardsRecord every hazard you see, with its location and the number of people affected.
  4. ScoreScore with the method you chose; write down diverging views with their reasoning.
  5. Tie controls to tasksGive every control an owner and a date; re-score the residual risk once it is in place.
  6. Put renewal in the calendarEnter the interval the class requires; if there is an accident or a change, renew without waiting.

Manage this in Optifora

Optifora is not a single program but a compliance platform assembled from modules. The catalogue states which module is ready today and which is on the roadmap.

See what Optifora is