• Product Labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
  
  
• Chemicals that Can Release Formaldehyde

OSHA has found that many hair smoothing products contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde dissolved in water (called methylene glycol), or other chemicals that can release formaldehyde during use. Using products that contain these substances can result in worker exposure to unsafe levels of formaldehyde.  In three salons, Federal OSHA found that stylists using either Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution or Cadiveu Brasil Cacau were exposed to formaldehyde above OSHA's 15-minute short term exposure limit (STEL) of 2 parts formaldehyde per million parts of air (ppm).  In one salon, formaldehyde levels during the blow drying phase of treatment were measured at 10 ppm - five times the OSHA STEL.

It can be difficult to tell which hair smoothing products contain or can release formaldehyde. Even products that do not list formaldehyde or methylene glycol on the label, or that claim to be "formaldehyde free" or "no formaldehyde," can still expose workers to formaldehyde.

It is important to know how to find out if products used in your salon can expose workers to formaldehyde, and what you should do if your salon or beauty school uses products that might expose workers.

Product Labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

OSHA's Hazard Communication and formaldehyde standard require formaldehyde and other substances that can lead to formaldehyde exposure to be listed in two places for products: on the label on the product bottle or box and in the product's material safety data sheets (MSDSs), which are documents that explain the health hazards of products that contain hazardous chemicals and the recommended safe practices for working with them.

If a product contains 0.1% or more formaldehyde or releases at least 0.1 ppm of it into the air, manufacturers, importers, and distributors must include the following on the label:

• Notice that the product contains formaldehyde or may release formaldehyde.
• Name and address of the manufacturer, importer, and/or other responsible companies.
• Notice that employers and MSDS can provide additional hazard information.

If a product can release more than 0.5 ppm of formaldehyde into the air, the label must also include:

• A list of all product health and safety hazards
• The words "Potential Cancer Hazard”

The MSDS provides more information about product hazards than the product label does. The MSDSs for hair smoothing products must be available to workers in the salon. OSHA's formaldehyde standard and hazard communication standard require a product's MSDS to list:

• Name of the product used on the label.
  
  
• Common names of all hazardous chemicals that make up 1% or more of the product.
  
  
• Common names of all ingredients that can cause cancer (including formaldehyde) and that make up 0.1% or more of the product.
  
  
• Common names of all hazardous chemicals that could be released into the air above OSHA or American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists established limits.
  
  
• Common names of hazardous ingredients that could be released that could be released into the air at levels that would pose a health risk for employees (0.1 ppm for formaldehyde).
  
  
• Health and safety information for each listed hazardous chemical, including health hazards.
  
  
• Common ways that people are exposed to the product and its hazardous ingredients.
  
  
• Limits of how much of each hazardous ingredient can be in the air adopted by OSHA, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, and the manufacturer.
  
  
• Notice of whether the chemical is considered a cancer-causing substance by OSHA, the International Agency for Cancer Research, or the National Toxicology Program.
  
  
• How to safely store and use the product, including what protective equipment to wear and what to do in an emergency, including first aid.
  
  
• The name, address, and telephone number of the company or person responsible for preparing the MSDS, and the date it was made or last changed.

Chemicals that Can Release Formaldehyde

Just because the name "formaldehyde" or the name methylene glycol is not on a product label or MSDS does not mean the product cannot expose workers to formaldehyde. Sometimes, manufacturers or distributors intentionally omit ingredients from labels or MSDS. There are also other names for formaldehyde, and other chemicals that can expose you to formaldehyde when the product is used. These are listed in the table below, and are subject to the same OSHA rules as formaldehyde.

Chemicals That Can Release Formaldehyde¹

Knowing how to read and understand labels and MSDSs is important to protecting worker health.

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