Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health will soon start randomly testing air quality in nail salons.
The decision to take test samples came after multiple complaints about a smell emitting from a salon in Winnipeg.
"One person reported that they were experiencing irritated eyes, nose and throat from a chemical smell from the salon,” said Mike Von Kats with Manitoba Safety and Health. ”And a second individual actually said they felt nauseous from the fumes that were coming from the salon.”
The tests will be looking for the big four chemicals known to be in products used by nail technicians: methyl methacrylate, acetone, formaldehyde and toluene.
The Manitoba Lung Association said these chemicals are known to be cancerous and could cause asthma.
"Once you get asthma as an adult, it's not going to go away,” said Margaret Bernhardt-Lowdon with the Manitoba Lung Association. “We want to protect people from that and I think the province wants to as well, so it's a good thing."
The salon involved in the original complaint received their air quality report late Thursday.
Results showed no formaldehyde was present in samples, and the other three chemicals were all extremely low and well within the allowable airborne workplace levels.
Workplace Health and Safety's random air quality screening is expected to start in a few weeks.
