http://www.dailynails.com/news/link/new-regulation-could-put-many-nail-salons-out-business-lawmaker-says SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah lawmaker wants to exempt the state’s nail salons from a new universal requirement that could cost each of them thousands to tens of thousands of dollars if they open for the first time or remodel starting in 2014.
The rule in the International Mechanical Code requires those businesses to add ventilation systems for every single work station, said Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross. “We want to be a business-friendly state,” Weiler said. “It’s cost prohibitive to run this type of small margin business with these types of industrial requirements.” Candace Daly with the Utah Beauty School Owners Association said the organization learned of the rule change when a couple of salons tried to remodel and were informed of the regulation by a building inspector. Daly said the cost per individual ventilation system could be anywhere from $1,000 to $6,000. Any nail salon currently operating would not be required to add ventilation systems outside of a remodel, but Weiler said it is common for businesses in the industry to remodel frequently to keep customers interested and coming back. That pattern led Weiler and industry groups to predict 75 percent of the state’s nail salons could ultimately be driven out of business if the matter is not addressed by the Utah Legislature. At Salt Lake Nails, Traci Ho said the business operated well with three ventilation units serving six work stations. “I don’t think every table needs it,” Ho said. She suggested complying with the new regulation could raise problems for the small business. “Sometimes it’s hard to even start a business and having to put those in as a law and requirement — it’d be hard,” she said. Businesses that operate out of the first floor of a multi-story building could have more trouble, Daly said, because they would either have to reposition work stations near windows or even potentially move. According to Daly, the reasoning behind the rule stemmed from health concerns over the chemical methyl methacrylate. Methyl methacrylate has been banned from nail shops in Utah for years, she said. Zebby Anderson, another nail technician based out of Bountiful who has more than three decades of experience, questioned the original rule that outlawed the chemical. She said she worked around the substance without any health problems, and suggested the reason the substance was outlawed is because it used to be a cheaper alternative to acrylic liquid. Regardless, Daly said the state’s restriction on the chemical serves as enough self-regulation to justify Weiler’s proposed exemption for Utah nail shops. “We think we’ve solved the problem with the caustic smells by banning that particular product,” Daly said. Weiler plans to introduce legislation creating a nail salon exemption to the International Mechanical Code regulations at the upcoming legislative session. End of copied article So what do you all think? On the one hand, It will drive up the cost of opening a nail salon and maybe the NSS will become a thing of the past. (fingers crossed...would love if this happened!) But, Hair salons will not add nail stations because of cost. Or, NSS will find a way to instal "fake" exhaust that is really just fans that do not exhaust air to the outside and it will be business as usual. Pay off the building inspector to get the paperwork that says that they are compliant. Fake exhaust to go with their fake "solar nails" and fake "disinfectant". Anyone else have any thoughts? Katherine Nails at Panache St. Louis, MO Sent from my iPad -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NailTech" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nailtech. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
