Nail Salons in New York Are Now Required to Have Ventilation Systems

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This week, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that all nail salons will be required to have ventilation systems that protect workers from harmful chemicals in polishes and cleaning supplies, the New York Times reported. Governor Cuomo is still cracking down on the industry after the last year’s exposé that revealed the deplorable working conditions for nail technicians, including underpayment and toxic environments.

“Immigrants take some of the most dangerous jobs and are exposed to conditions that can literally kill them, if not destroy their health,’’ Cuomo said in a statement. “We focused on the nail salon workers who, as a class, have been grossly exploited and exposed to dangerous chemicals without any protection. These new ventilation requirements will make nail salons in New York the safest in the nation.”

Salons opening on or after October 3rd of this year will be required to have a ventilation system in place, while existing salons have a (fairly long) five year grace period in which to install one, and the burden of expenses are entirely on the individual salons.