By Kayode Olopade
The Lagos State Safety Commission has expressed concern over the rising number of health and safety complaints from customers of beauty and spa parlours across the state, citing a growing need for stricter regulation and ethical compliance in the industry.
Speaking at a seminar organised by the Commission on Tuesday, themed "Ethical Practices in the Beauty and Spa Industry", the DG Lagos Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola, represented by the Technical Adviser to the Safety Commission, Mr. Seun Awojobi said the state was responding to a worrying trend of incidents involving the misuse of chemicals, health complications, and reports of sexual harassment in some beauty establishments
According to Awojobi, the seminar was convened to engage stakeholders in the beauty and spa sector on the need to uphold safety standards, ethical practices, and regulatory compliance in line with existing policies and environmental guidelines.
“For us at the Safety Commission, our core mandate is the protection of lives and properties. We achieve this through training, advocacy, engagement and enforcement,” Awojobi stated. “We have observed a significant increase in the number of beauty and spa parlours across Lagos. With that growth comes the need for more stringent regulatory oversight, especially around the control and application of hazardous substances.”
He noted that some customers have suffered adverse reactions and complications after undergoing procedures at unregulated beauty centres, with some cases involving the use of toxic chemicals and unethical service delivery.
“We’ve had instances where people go into these parlours and return with serious health complaints. Some have reported complications from the chemicals used, while others have brought up issues around sexual harassment. That is unacceptable,” he said.
While affirming that individuals have the freedom to make personal choices regarding their appearance and self-care, Awojobi stressed that service providers must adhere strictly to safety protocols, especially when dealing with substances that could endanger human health.
“Our job is to ensure that any substance being used is properly regulated and not hazardous to human health. There are laid-down policies guiding the industry, and any chemical used must comply with these standards,” he added.
The Commission, he said, works closely with the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) to monitor the availability and usage of potentially dangerous substances within the sector.
“We must prevent the unchecked availability of hazardous chemicals. These substances should not be freely accessible without proper documentation and oversight. That’s why partnerships with agencies like LASEPA are critical,” Awojobi explained.
The seminar brought together practitioners from the beauty, wellness and spa sectors, government officials, and health and safety experts, all of whom agreed on the urgent need for ethical reform and capacity building in the sector.
The Lagos State Safety Commission said it will continue its advocacy and enforcement drive to ensure the safety and wellbeing of residents who patronise beauty and spa services.
The event featured lectures by major practioners who all hammered on adequate, continuos training for practitioners, elimination of quackery and corporate-self respect on the part of their members.
.png)
No comments:
Post a Comment