Exposure to dangerous chemicals results in countless injuries in the workplace each year. Even worse, extended exposure over a long period of time may result in work-related illnesses such as cancer. Workers may not know that the chemicals they are using are not safe until it is too late.

This may be happening right now at hair salons in New York and across the country. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued a hazard alert about the dangers of a popular salon treatment.

The product is called "Brazilian Blowout," and it is a keratin treatment for women who want to straighten their hair. OSHA tests revealed that this product and some similar products release high levels of formaldehyde gas.

Formaldehyde can irritate eyes and cause allergic reactions. It has also been linked to lung cancer. While these products are specifically labeled as "formaldehyde-free," they contain an ingredient called "methylene glycol," which can release formaldehyde during the heating and straightening process.

The product can be so dangerous that some New York salons require both their stylists and customers to wear gas masks during the treatment.

As long as these products are being used, employees and customers could be in danger. Some hair salons have taken the safety precautions of requiring gas masks, but there are probably many other salons here in New York that do not require such protections. Employees may not even know that the products are dangerous.

Lung cancer and other adverse health effects are a high price to pay for a simple hair-straightening treatment. Furthermore, if employees are forced to use these dangerous products without being given adequate safety protection, salon owners are putting their health in jeopardy.

Source: 9news.com, "Popular hair-straightening treatment could pose health risk," Chin-Chin Liu, 14 April 2011