Hair salon told to protect burglars from hair bleach

Authorities responsible for preventing accidents at work had visited the salon in Graz to check health and safety at the business, when they noticed the bottles of peroxides and dyes used to colour the hair placed around the salon

Speaking to the Kleine Zeitung newspaper, the unnamed owner of the salon said: “We were told that only one high strength bottle was allowed to be kept in the customer area.”

When she asked why, the owner was astonished when she was told that the bottles could get damaged in a break in and cause injury to a burglar, who could then sue the salon.

“I asked him whether he was serious”, she said, explaining that she was shocked when he said he was.

The chamber of commerce and the accident prevention arm of the Austrian Workers' Compensation Board (AUVA) say they are unaware of this case but they are aware of the regulations.

AUVA spokesperson Michael Schmoll describes the product “a corrosive material that can lead to skin or eye injuries.”

Accident insurance medical specialist Roswitha Hoseman was angry about the “nonsense” however, arguing that although businesses must protect their customers and employees, burglars are not included.