Can I Use A Window Exhaust Fan In A Nail Salon

Nail technicians are exposed to potentially chancy chemicals every day. The dust and vapors generated from products are close to the breathing zone of you and your clients and tin can cause a variety of long-term health problems. While they aren't lethal, they can irritate the fragile membranes of the optics, nose and lungs. "This irritation may cause a burning or itching sensation, which is a warning sign that you need to reduce your exposure to that particular product before whatsoever serious damage is done," says Jeff Cardarella, president of Aerovex Systems, Inc.. Proper ventilation tin can remove any potential inhalation hazard and help ensure safety air quality. Don't presume that your salon is exempt from these needs—ventilation is vital if you practice whatsoever kind of blast enhancement services. Fifty-fifty if you lot simply perform manicures and pedicures or your salon smells fresh and make clean, y'all still must take the necessary precautions to properly ventilate your space.

Air Purifying Myths
Boom salons present unique ventilation requirements. The virtually mutual misconception is that ventilation is necessary to control odors inside the salon, when in fact ventilation should be used to control vapors and dust. Another common mistake is thinking that just considering something smells unpleasant, information technology's harmful to breathe. Cardarella explains, "Sometimes vapors are readily apparent because of a distinctive odor, but if you tin can't smell anything, that doesn't mean there aren't any vapors present." Doug Schoon, chief scientific officer of CND and author of Nail Structure and Production Chemistry (Second Edition), states, "Scent doesn't determine the rubber of a chemical. Smells are vapors stimulating special olfactory property-detecting cells in the nose. Use proper ventilation, and odors volition disappear with the vapors."

Keep in mind that full general heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems (HVACs) designed for offices, schools and other nonindustrial settings are inadequate for keeping potentially chancy substances at "safe" amounts in the air—this type of ventilation dilutes contaminants in the air, just does not completely remove them.

Effective Ventilation
To adequately protect both nail technicians and clients, local exhaust ventilation should be installed. Local exhaust ventilation captures and removes contaminants at their source before they attain the air you breathe. It protects the animate zone and is preferable to have equally shut every bit possible to the source of emissions to continue them vented to the outside of the salon. Local frazzle systems can also be mounted on the wall or ceiling. Some use flexible hoses that tin exist placed near the breathing zone to increase usefulness. Whatsoever such systems must be professionally designed and installed to ensure effectiveness.

Your best ventilation bet—and the only one that should be used in a salon environment—is a commercial-course, loftier-quality unit that utilizes a Loftier Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter and activated charcoal. HEPA filters are very useful for filtering out fine grit particles, which are ofttimes microscopic and continually circulate in the air. Cardarella says, "These particles may not be visible to the naked eye, but can easily enter your respiratory system."

But while HEPA filters are swell for dust particles, they do not capture vapor molecules, which are thousands of times smaller than the tiniest grit particle. This is where activated charcoal (also chosen activated carbon) comes into play. A special process creates an extremely porous and super-absorbent material that captures vapors in tiny crevices. These units normally have several blower speeds; a higher speed rushes by also quickly for the activated charcoal to do its task, so cull a slower speed for more efficient assimilation. Schoon says, "I recommend that the unit of measurement take a four-inch-thick bed of activated charcoal, which weighs a bit more than v pounds."
The combination of activated charcoal and HEPA filters is ideal. Activated charcoal can work with an outdoor venting system or a portable air cleaner. Also, a HEPA prefilter is essential because dust can clog up the activated charcoal bed or filter, making information technology useless.

Finally, lookout man out for air cleaners that claim to remove odors using "ozone air"—otherwise called "pure air," "activated or energized oxygen" or "triatomic air." They wrongly suggest that ozone is a healthy or safe form of oxygen. Even in tiny amounts, ozone is a hazardous air contaminant and should be avoided.

[Image: Aerovex Healthy Air™ Ventilation Systems]

Step-past-Footstep

To ensure that your salon is properly ventilated, follow these steps:
1.) Assess the dimensions of the salon. First and foremost, you should know the book of air that needs to be ventilated. Choose a system that fully ventilates the amount of square footage you want covered, including ceiling peak. "Large salons ordinarily demand more than one unit. Several units will outperform i larger unit," says Schoon. Outdoor venting is the preferred system, only if there is no convenient outside access for ducts or vents, so you'll take to consider other options.

Appraise your salon by asking these questions: What is the square footage of your salon? Practise you have easy admission to its exterior through a wall, window or roof? Practice you need the system to exist portable or permanently mounted? How many stations does the salon need to ventilate?

2.) Flooring. This is as well an important consideration —monomer, acetone and other product vapors migrate to the floor. Schoon says, "Carpeting is not appropriate for salons. It tin become a big source of indoor air pollution and oftentimes traps dust and debris, which can afterwards be released into the air." If carpet is your but option, it needs to be shampooed regularly to foreclose droppings accumulation; old, soiled carpet should be removed completely.

iii.) Customize. Choose the system that works best for your salon. If you lot have access to the exterior, endeavor a flexible-tube local exhaust system linked to an outdoor venting system. With this type of arrangement, yous can link several stations into one exhaust system, which is very cost effective, even for one table.

Some other option is a ventilated nail table linked to an outdoor venting system. This is great for a salon that already has ventilated tables and can install ducts to the outside.

For portable ventilation solutions with no outside access, a flexible-tube local exhaust organization vented through a HEPA filter with a three-to-four-inch-thick activated charcoal system works best. These systems are usually more costly than outdoor venting, but are most effective for a portable solution.

Or, you tin utilize a nail table vented through a HEPA filter with a three-to-four-inch-thick activated charcoal filter system. This is perfect for a salon that has already invested in a ventilated tabular array.

Another option is a commercial-grade, high quality HEPA filter/activated charcoal room air cleaner unit of measurement containing at least 18 pounds of activated charcoal. These are non as effective, but work well in conjunction with local frazzle systems. Used correctly, they will brand a great improvement in air quality.

Installing an constructive frazzle system with individual exhaust vents for each station is preferable. If possible, the exhaust should be vented outdoors in a fashion that meets local building code requirements.

4.) Maintain your arrangement. Once y'all have selected your perfect organisation, don't forget to maintain and make clean it on a regular basis for it to run efficiently. A local HVAC specialist can ensure that your system is acceptable for the space and keep it running properly.

An activated charcoal bed or filter should be replaced every iii to 4 months with normal usage, depending on the thickness of the charcoal bed. "The thicker the bed, the longer you can become without changing information technology, merely you shouldn't go more than a year," says Schoon. An activated charcoal bed is like a sponge—once it's full, it cannot continue to absorb vapors. Also, completely saturated filters are a fire run a risk since many of the absorbed vapors are flammable. Filters cannot be reused or cleaned.

v.) Protect yourself. When filing or shaping nail enhancements, some technicians wear disposable masks to filter the air they breathe. Surgical masks help prevent the spread of germs, but non the inhalation of dust and vapors. Dust masks protect you from dust particles, but not against the inhalation of vapors. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) suggests wearing a dust mask with an N95 rating. This rating ways it will block 95 percent of the tiniest dust particles that can be inhaled deeper into the lung. Likewise, wearing a mask with a one-mode valve allows you to exhale easily, increases comfort and prevents wet from accumulating and fogging eyewear.

six.) Product use and storage. Proceed boom products and dispenser bottles closed when they aren't in utilize. NIOSH recommends using bottles with narrow throats and pump dispensers. Dappen dishes should be covered when non in apply and should not have an opening greater than ane inch. This will reduce evaporation and exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

Do not utilize bulk containers when performing services. Instead, transfer products from large containers to smaller, properly labeled containers. Perform this task in a well-ventilated expanse, such as outside or near an open window or door and avoid pare contact.

Keep a metal trash can with a self-closing lid at every workstation to dispose of used wipes and paper towels every bit soon as possible. Believe information technology or not, the bulk of odor in smash salons comes from the trash tin.

Lastly, the tops of ventilated tables and other vents should be clear of any obstructions, including towels.

-Jill Clark

For more guidelines on inhalation and skin exposure to nail products visit
probeauty.org/nmc.

Images: Aerovex Good for you Air™ Ventilation Systems

Source: https://www.nailpro.com/technique/article/21156517/how-to-choose-the-right-ventilation-system-for-your-salon

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