NY Gov. Cuomo cracks down on nail-salon hazards

Albany, NY – A series of eye-opening investigative reports in The New York Times has led to a harsh crackdown on the nail-salon industry by the state’s top politician.

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) announced on May 11 the establishment of a multi-agency enforcement task force to hunt for unsafe working conditions and unlawful pay in the industry. Cuomo’s announcement came days after the Times’ two-part series that detailed the daily perils vulnerable nail-salon workers face, including dangerous chemicals and wage violations.

The task force has been directed to immediately develop and implement several actions, including:

• Create workplace safety regulations that require nail salons to provide workers with personal protective equipment such as gloves and face masks when appropriate.
• “Vigorously” enforce existing rules that allow nail-salon workers the right to request and wear PPE at any time.
• Develop new regulations mandating that each personal workstation include a fan.
• Require salons to post notices in multiple languages that describe employee rights.
• Revoke business licenses of egregious offenders.

“This task force will … help ensure that no one – regardless of their citizenship status or what language they speak – is illegally victimized by their employer,” Cuomo said in a press release.