NY Guv Wants Respirators in Nail Salons

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is planning to propose two new measures Monday that would crack down on the mistreatment of nail-salon workers in the wake of a New York Times investigation exposing the industry’s poor conditions. One of the measures allows New York’s State Department to punish salons in violation of code, including the power to fine and shut down unlicensed operations. The second measure designates trainee status as a new class of workers that would allow manicurists learning the trade to work toward receiving a license. Other changes include requiring manicurists to wear respirators when sculpting acrylic nails and wearing goggles when working with large quantities of chemicals like nail-polish remover.