California nail-salon clean-up bill signed into law

Sacramento, Calif. - Noting that unsanitary nail salons can pose a serious health threat to consumers, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed into law a bill aimed at preventing bacterial infections during manicures and pedicures by threatening salons with loss of their license if they fail to keep their instruments and premises clean.

The bill allows regulators to immediately suspend a nail salon’s cosmetology licenses if their equipment is found to be in violation of health and safety codes. Improperly maintained pedicure tubs, instruments and other equipment found in nail salons can harbor dangerous bacteria, including those linked to tuberculosis and staph infections.

The bill was a response to outbreaks of bacteria in nail salons that infected more than 150 people in California in recent years. Last year, Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill aimed at addressing the problem.