Abstract

Physicians have some difficulty making informed choices regarding preventive withdrawal or reassignment of pregnant or nursing hair stylists, as the exposure of this group of workers to harmful substances has not been adequately characterized. Over the course of this industrial hygiene support project, conducted in collaboration with the CSST for the Montreal - Centre Regional Health and Social Services Board, the IRSST’s laboratories adapted and implemented several analytical methods that will facilitate the assessment of hair stylists' occupational exposure. The results of these new methods will help physicians make decisions and employers plan prevention activities.