For some, a trip to the salon can be a much-needed escape. Whether you’re getting a fresh cut or a manicure, it can be a moment to relax and even feel a little better about your appearance. While owners of salons, spas, and barbershops take pride in giving their customers a brief oasis, they are also wary of the risks that come with being a small business owner. If you’re looking to provide these services while keeping you and your customers safe, here are some tips to keep in mind to avoid a personal injury lawsuit down the line.
Buying Safe Equipment
The last thing you want to do is put your customers at risk with a defective product. That’s why it’s important to invest in the safest equipment, from hair dryers to a sturdy vintage barbers chair, to give yourself some assurance that a personal injury accident won’t result from this faulty equipment. A catastrophic injury can occur if a salon chair is not safely secured or is rusting over, leaving a client liable to fall out of the chair and onto the floor.
Rely on sturdier models that are able to swivel seamlessly, and provide a tested footrest and headrest to make sure comfort and safety are kept paramount. If you’re a hair salon, tattoo parlor, or massage parlor, you want to make sure that these units come with height adjustment capabilities. Personal injuries may not only arise from customers but from workers as well. An employee who develops back issues over time because of being hunched over may have viable litigation in a lawsuit if it’s found that a business did nothing to address complaints about conditions efficiently.
Keeping Hygienic
Customers may look into the services of a St. Louis personal injury attorney if they discover medical conditions that may have resulted from unhygienic conditions within salons or spas. This is considered a form of neglect, as proper cleaning procedures could’ve avoided medical costs brought on by infections. Depending on the date of the accident, a personal injury lawyer may look into when a customer first had an adverse reaction or symptoms. If it’s directly correlated to the timing of their last visit, it could be grounds for a lawsuit surrounding a personal injury accident.
This expands to workers as well. For example, there are health hazards in nail salons that employees and business owners should be wary of. Proper masks should be provided for salon workers to avoid inhaling chemicals like formaldehyde and toluene, which can cause significant medical difficulties after prolonged exposure. Proper cleaning regimens need to be stressed upon workers in these venues, as there are biological hazards dealt with daily. This includes infected skin, nails, and blood. Make sure that the proper cleaning chemicals are used to limit potential problems.
COVID-19 Concerns
A personal injury attorney may have a case for their client if it’s discovered they were exposed to COVID-19 in your establishment as a result of negligence regarding cleaning and following local protocols. Adhering to any ordinances is key to avoiding the need for a customer or employee to require medical treatment for the coronavirus. If your municipality requires proof of COVID vaccination to enter businesses, make sure employees are vaccinated and that customers are carrying their vaccine cards.
A beauty salon or barbershop employer should make sure that surfaces and objects are cleaned properly. Make sure there are hazard controls in place in the event that there is a COVID exposure. You have a duty of care to your customers to inform them that they may have been in contact with an employee or fellow customer who tested positive. This can also save you from having to look into legal options down the line to protect your small business.
