SUMMARY REPORT ON THE TRAIN-THE-TRAINER WORKSHOP ON
SAFE COSMETICS USE FOR OCCUPATIONAL WORKERS IN SALONS AND BEAUTY PARLOURS IN NIGERIA
Venue: Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja
Date: 10 February, 2016
1.0 Introduction:
Prior to the training workshop, SRADev team made a consultation visit to the Lagos State office secretariat of NASHCO to brief on details of the workshop and agree on how participants would be selected to represent all the local government areas of Lagos state (see picture below), choice of venue and others.
Pre-training courtesy visit to NASCHO Lagos office by SRADev Team
Following the field survey on safe cosmetics use among salons and beauty parlours in Nigeria, Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev) Nigeria conducted a one day train-the-trainer workshop. The workshop aimed at increasing awareness of beauty practitioners on salon chemical exposure, health effects, safety at workplace and strengthening capacity towards creating a legal framework and regulation of the Profession. It was organized to build capacity of beauticians in Lagos State on occupational health and safety issues. It held at Ekiti Syndicate Hall, Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja on the 10th of February, 2016. A trainer from amongst the beauty practitioners was selected per Local Government Area (LGA) by the State NASHCO President who will in turn train other beauty salon worker in their respective Local Government Areas (LGAs). Also, to enable SRADev receive comments, and solicit their views on next concrete steps towards a more robust national campaign, regulation of the association and policy development in the future.
Workshop registration began at 10:00am and ended at about 5.50pm with an opening session chaired by the President of NASCHO and co-chaired by a government official from the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Commission (NAFDAC) who delivered the keynote speech. The state secretary gave the vote of thanks after the closing remarks by the Executive Director of SRADev. A total of 28 participants from the trade union comprising of key personnel of the National and State Executive of NASHCO and as well as Local government Representatives (see list of participants below) were in attendance. The one day workshop held in 2 sessions: (a) the opening and (b) technical sessions (see the programme agenda below).
National President of NASHCO during the Opening remarks
2.0 The Opening Session
The workshop began with an opening session with the introduction of all participants indicating the institution represented and their specific responsibilities. This was followed by a welcome address by the Executive Director, SRADev Nigeria, Mr. Leslie Adogame, who explained the purpose of the project and the train the trainer workshop which was to provide an intervention towards safe chemical use, information sharing and ultimately policy development. The opening remark was given by the National President of NASHCO Dr (Mrs) Betty Ishoka who started by giving a summary of her working relationship with SRADev Nigeria. She appreciated the effort of NAFDAC and solicited for more cohesive work in future. She emphasized on the need for members to embrace this development describing it as been a long awaited for opportunity. A goodwill message was said by the Lagos State President of NASHCO, Mrs Surat Abari-Ajibola, who started by imploring members to take the Association’s Anthem. She blamed the instability in governance to be the cause of non-continuity of their work with the government. She called for the need for government to put action in place towards regulating the association and the practice.
Lagos State President of NASCHO during her goodwill message
The keynote paper on “Banned & Controlled Chemicals in Cosmetics” was presented by the, Dr. Anthony J. Hotton of the Chemical Evaluation & Research Directorate Unit of National Agency for Foods, Drugs and Administration Commission (NAFDAC). Highlights of his presentation were (see attached for full paper):
· Mandate of NAFDAC - the Agency was established by Decree 15 of 1993 as amended by Decree 19 of 1999 and mandated to regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, chemicals, detergents, medical devices and packaged water.
· Essence of regulation and control of drug and food - To protect public health and ensuring that only quality regulated, safe, efficacious and wholesome products reach the market, and ultimately the consuming public.
· Facts about Nigeria – With a population of about 174 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the 1st largest economy of Africa and 26th of the world’s economies also one of the fastest consistently growing GDP in Africa.
· Regulatory framework of NAFDAC cuts across packaging and labeling of cosmetics - Section 8 of the Drugs and related products (registration, etc.) ACT 1993 (as amended) states that ‘no person shall manufacture, import, export, distribute, advertise, display for sale or sell a cosmetic, unless a label has been affixed thereto with the information required by these regulations appearing on both the inner and outer container (as applicable)’.
· Banned and Controlled Chemicals - while banned chemicals are those with usage within one or more categories has been prohibited by final regulatory action to protect human health or environment, restricted chemicals are still allowedfor specific uses. Some of these chemical include Boric Acid - Banned in Baby products, Lanolin - Banned in Baby products, Chloroform - Banned in Cosmetics, Hydroquinone - Restricted to 2%, Biothionol - Banned in cosmetics and Zirconium salt - Banned in Cosmetics.
· Chemicals in Cosmetics - some identified chemicals include Alpha Hydroxy Acids and Beta Hydroxy Acids, Phthalates, Diethanolamine (DEA) And Other Ethanolamines, Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Compounds and Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde Releasing Preservatives.
· Products, Packaging and Ingredients- some manufacturer a times conceal the names of dangerous chemical ingredients in their labels such as some mercury compounds labelled as Cinnbaris, Quicksilver, Hydrargyrioxydum rubrum (mercury oxide), Mercuric iodide and Mercurous chloride or poison.
· The willingness of the Agency to partner with trade unions, communities, NGOs and other meaningful organizations in the management of chemical products in food drugs and cosmetics.
· Commendation to SRADev for the workshop and their work towards regulating the association would assist the ministry in actualizing her mandate.
Comments/Questions/Discussion
Keynote comments and questions from NASHCO members includes:
· The NASHCO National President, Dr (Mrs) Ishoka praised SRADev and NAFDAC for the great workshop put up. She wanted to know how NAFDAC intends to support the association and why lanolin was banned. She also requested the need to have a database for NASHCO members.
· The State Vice President of NASHCO stressed the need for enforcing beauticians and ensuring they comply with standards and best practices.
· Response from Dr. Hotton Anthony was firstly to appreciate the initiate put forward by SRADev. Moreover, for the association to be given some recognition and listen to by government, issue bordering them must be put in black and white (documented) and they must synergistically work with Non-governmental Organisation like SRADev to put them across to the government, such as through the research finding to be released at this workshop. He said Lanolin was banned because it is carcinogenic.
· Mr Leslie from SRADev Nigeria added that his NGO being a focal point in Chemicals management in Nigeria, is in a good working relationship with government agencies like Federal and State Ministries of Health, Federal and State Ministries of Environment, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Commission (NAFDAC), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), which will help all parties to move forward.
Dr. Hotton during his presentation
3.0 Technical Session
The technical session was chaired by the Executive Director of SRADev, Nigeria, Mr. Leslie Adogame. The first presentation on “Campaign Project on Safe Cosmetic Use for Occupational Workers in Salons and Beauty Parlours in Nigeria - An Overview” was made by him. Highlight of the presentation (see attached paper) includes:
• Introduction of the project carried out by SRADev, Nigeria in collaboration with Developing World Outreach Initiative (DWOI) via Occupational Knowledge International, USA towards promoting safe cosmetics use by occupational workers in Nigeria.
• Justification was based on salon workers’ poor knowledge of harmful chemicals to avoid and be mindful of in salon products and the technical skills or measures to handle and protect themselves against exposure to such endangering chemicals.
• Aims and objectives are to raise awareness, empower and train salon workers on safe chemicals use, organize media event with stakeholders and facilitate policy development.
• Method and techniques include literature/desk research, identification/consultation with NASHCO stakeholders, data collection and information gathering, a one-day “train the trainer” workshop, Policy development.
• Summary of findings include poor ventilation, chemical use and prevalence of occupational chemical related health cases. Poor waste disposal and food handling practices.
The second technical session presentation was on “Perception of Salon Workers to Chemical Exposure in Their Work Environment” by Mrs Faith Osa-Egharevba, Senior Program Officer of SRADev Nigeria. Highlights of her presentation (see attached paper) include:
· Enumeration of the methodology of project work which are consultation meeting with NASHCO executives, data collection.
· The result of the research that spanned through the demographics, occupational history, health effects of the identified chemical ingredients and safety of chemical use and waste management at workplace.
The third presentation on “Health Effects of Salon Chemical Exposure” by Mr Leslie Adogame where he emphasised:
• How chemicals enters into the body with the factors that triggers exposure to chemicals
• Identified chemical ingredients basically, the trios: phthalates, formaldehyde and Toluene
• General effects of chemicals in the body with the health effect of identified chemicals in the course of the research
• Effects of salon chemical agents on body parts which includes systems and organs like the nervous system, reproductive system, respiratory system, the skin and eye
And the last presentation was given by Mr. Victor Fabunmi, project officer in SRADev on “Safety issues in beauty salons”. He stressed the following:
• Preamble on what risk and hazard is and differences between them.
• The need for ensuring safety at workplace which is to prevent loss of man hour (unproductive time to accident), money, psychosocial effect, pain, deformity and life.
• How to manage safety at workplace which is Hazards Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Management and Control.
• Best Shop Practice (BSP) in salon to prevent hazards which cut across reduction of exposure through inhalation, skin contact, accidental swallowing and good housekeeping practices.
• Take home message which is a practical summary of how to start-up safety practice adaptable to them.
A cross section of participants during the presentations
4.0 Stakeholders Coordination and Collaboration
There was a general discussion on the need for proper and better coordination and collaboration by all stakeholders in policy development and regulation of the association. The following were key issues raised and canvassed as the way forward:
• Mr. Leslie Adogame stated that approach would be to have discussions centre around the need for a way forward, priorities and actions on how to achieve the agreed goal on short, medium and long term measure.
• Being part of the research team, Mr. Godwin Akpomeran opined that the main problem discovered during the fieldwork was high level of ignorance among the salon workers.
• Comment from Mrs Abari, majored on taking swift actions towards internalizing lessons learnt especially in the areas of safety like provision of First Aid box and other safety equipment like nose mask, nitrile gloves and other protective wears. She further drew emphasis on the need for collaborating with the government to form environmental health taskforce groups to enforce and ensure workplace activities comply with standards. Dr (Mrs) Ishoka expressed a concern and how she prays for the association. She stated that henceforth, there would be need to get the media to publicize the activities of NASHCO.
• Mrs Iweka expressed her gratitude to SRADev Nigeria and promised to carry on the training at the Local Government level. Mr. Godwin added that the constitution should be considered while regulating. She suggested an enforcement team with health officers at the local government level. Mrs Faith added that the operations at NASHCO should run from local, state and federal government levels.
Workshop Outcome/Resolutions
By and large, following extensive discussion amongst the practitioners, the following points were unanimously agreed upon to be the way forward and approach:
· Registration of beauticians at local, state and national levels towards regulation.
· Need for regular publicity of the activities of NASHCO on the media and press.
· Reorganization of NASHCO at the local, state and national levels.
· Setting up Environmental Health Committee (composed of representatives of NASHCO and government officials) to monitor activities and ensuring compliance with ideals.
· The local government should key into programs brought in by state NASHCO. The modules developed given to each participant at the training would be used to further training at the local government levels (see attached power point presentation for content of modules).
· Public private partnership (working with government)-such as SRADev working with NASHCO and government agencies such as NESREA, SON and NAFDAC towards professionalization.
Recommendations
The following recommendations were made based on the outcome:
ü There is need for scaling up this campaign (consultation, data gathering, workshop and stakeholders’ meeting) in other states and at the national level, which will ultimately catalyse policy development process. Additional funding is required to scale up.
ü Strengthening the state activities towards the regulation of the profession.
ü There is a need for partnership with government agencies such as NAFDAC, SON, NCS, CPC and others towards quality development, ensured conformity with product quality and best practice of the profession and environmental health.
ü There is also need for NASHCO to partner with Non-governmental Organizations.