It’s thankfully rare that anyone suffers any serious injury in a spa or a salon. The most that will usually happen is an adverse reaction to a beauty product, but if something does go seriously wrong, don’t suffer in silence.
Keeping Records of Accidents
All premises are legally required to record and report even minor accidents, so if you slip on a spillage, even if you just walk away with a bruise, you should insist that it’s recorded. The details of the accident have to be kept confidential, and if you do seriously hurt yourself, the record that the spa makes of it can feature in any claim that you make against them later.
Health and Safety Legislation
The law states that: “It shall be the duty of every employee while at work to take reasonable care for the health and safety of her/himself and of other persons who may be affected by her/his acts or omissions at work.” – and if the law is broken, the spa or salon breaking it can be prosecuted under whichever piece of health and safety law they have broken.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 – COSHH
All spas and salons have to follow certain regulations involved with handling, storage and disposal of chemicals – these include things like nail varnish and remover, disinfectants and cleaning materials.
If you accidentally come into contact with a chemical like acetone, and you are injured, you could be entitled to claim personal injury compensation if it was the fault of the spa, but also you should report them to their local council, who regulate the health and safety of salons and spa premises through local bye laws.
Allergic Reactions
Any reputable salon or spa will ask you to have a patch test if they are going to use strong chemicals on you. It’s unlikely that you’ll have a reaction, but especially in the case of hair dyes, one of the most widely reported beauty products to cause a reaction, you should expect to visit the salon and have a small amount of the product tested on your skin around 48 hours before your booked treatment.
This isn’t often done with body wraps, facials or beauty treatments in general, as most of them are tested for adverse reactions and pride themselves on ‘natural’ and even organic ingredients. If you’re worried about something though, make your feelings known before your appointment and either ask for advice or a patch test. If you know you are allergic to an ingredient, such as nut oil, say so, as there will undoubtedly be alternatives.
If you do have an adverse reaction, legally it’s hard to claim any kind of compensation if all the correct procedures have been followed. It’s a fact of life that some people can’t tolerate some ingredients, and often you won’t know until you have the treatment. If you end up with a rash, it’s unpleasant but just one of those things. However, the therapist uses a product on you after you’ve told them you have an allergy to an ingredient in it – and you have a severe reaction – you would have every right to claim compensation for personal injury if the reaction is serious.
Hopefully you will never need to make a claim against a salon for negligence, or report them for breaches of health and safety law. It’s unlikely that you’ll come away from your spa experience with anything other than a warm glow, but if you do suffer from an injury that’s caused by a spa visit, it’s reassuring to know your rights…
