Eye injury leads to health and safety fines for hairdressing salon
An eye injury that occurred during a tanning session alerted Wealden Inspectors from the Health and Safety Unit to serious shortcomings at a Hailsham hairdressing salon.
These resulted in fines totalling £7,500 for the Melody Ann Unisex Hair Salon, of Carew Court, Hawkeswood Road; after the company failed to comply with the resulting Improvement Notices to protect customers and employees.
In passing sentence, the Chairman of the Bench at Eastbourne Magistrates Court, Dr Lucas, said the fines were necessary to bring home to the company that the safety of the public was paramount.
Wealden Heath and Safety Inspectors first visited the Melody Ann Unisex Hair salon in March after a pair of protective goggles provided for customers during a tanning session had caused eye and skin injuries. The woman has since learnt that she will suffer some permanent impairment to her eyes.
The goggles had been soaked in a disinfectant cleaning solution, Mar-v-cide, that was used for cleaning hard surfaces and included a specific hazard warning that the chemical should not come into contact with eyes.
After the salon manager had showed a lack of knowledge about how the disinfectant should be used, Wealden officers ordered the tanning booth be closed until a safe system of sterilising the goggles, or an alternative method of eye protection, had been established.
Officers then served five Health and Safety Improvement Notices on the company.
Three months later, Wealden inspectors returned to the hairdressing salon. When interviewing staff they learnt that the necessary training in health and safety had not been given, there was no competent health and safety person for the company and there were insufficient risk assessments - just some of the matters required in the Improvement Notices. The Council had no option but to prosecute the company, Melody Ann Limited, which pleaded guilty to five charges of failing to comply with Improvement Notices. The company was fined £1500 for each charge.
“Business are not doing themselves any favours by ignoring health and safety training and risk assessment,” said Councillor Mrs Pam Doodes, Cabinet member for Health and Public Safety. “Injuries to customers and staff resulting from this sort of neglect have to be taken very seriously.”
Melody Ann Limited was also ordered to pay Wealden District Council’s costs of £2780.
