nail salon

[JMORRISON]

Proposed tenant improvement for new nail salon. They want to place the pedicure chairs on a 6" platform to not have to saw cut existing concrete floor. Is access required to the chair and is a handrail required to platform?

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[vegas paul]

I would require one to be accessibile, with side entry clearances. If your question about a handrail is due to the elevated platform, It does not require a guard, and I would not consider it a stairway, so I'd not require a railing of any kind.

BTW, I hate nail salons for many other reasons including mechanical ventilation requirements, and arguements about occupant loads (and requirements for male and female restrooms!).

 

[mtlogcabin]

Agree with VP

BTW how do you count occupant loads. I count the number of work stations X 2 plus the number of chairs in the waiting area for the total.

 

[FredK]

Yes to access.

Occupant load depends on floor area, IMHO. Mostly strip malls of 1200 sq ft or less here.

Definite pain getting ventilation done correctly.

 

[vegas paul]

Ocupant loads in nail salons, beauty salons, etc. is often quite a controversial subject. Many want to use 100 sq. ft. per occupant (Let's not open up that can of worms... Occupancy Classification does NOT determine occupant load factor, Function does!). Anyway, I often use the # of hair/nail stations times 2 as mtlogcabin suggests. Although this often creates arguments. The waiting area is either figured as counting chairs, but that's problematic since more could be added, or table 1004.1. Use 7 sq. ft./occupant for a more reliable number.

Either way, if greater than 15, separate restrooms are required. Nail salon owners do NOT like to put a Men's room in!

 

[globe trekker]

Nor do they like to put in compliant type ventilation for each station / chair,

...nor do they like men to even set foot on the premises, ...nor do they

want public drinking water sources for the customers, and on and on and

on and on...

Sorry paul, the top of that can was slightly opened already and one of

the worms got out.

.

 

[vegas paul]

globetrekker - have you seen any submittals with the downdraft nail stations? They are really slick. Each station/table top is connected to the exhaust, with the suction built into the table, kind of like a sanding table in a woodshop. Rather than having exhausts from above (which just sucks the noxious vapors into the faces of the customer and operator), the downdraft pulls it away from below. These are listed, and made by a few manufacturers.

I saw a few in my old jurisdiction, prior to moving out to the heartland.

 

[globe trekker]

Paul,

In this AHJ, we don't get much information on anything. On the last

two nail salon projects that we had, I actually downloaded some

pics. & manufacturer' info for those very types that you are referring

to. Both business owner(s) said that that would cost them too

much money to buy and install. This was during the plans

review process... They [ both ] ended up putting in the type

of exhaust fans that you typically see in the restrooms, ...in the

drop ceiling. ** another sigh **

.

 

[peach]

I don't see a need to either raise the pedicure chairs or cut the floor. The person doing the pedicure generally sits on a low chair and brings the foot up to their lap to do the work.

 

[vegas paul]

Peach - I think the reason for the platform was to enclose the plumbing, without cutting the floor. That's what created the accessibility issue. If you don't raise the chairs

(with a platform) then the plumbing is the problem...

 

[peach]

I've never seen pedicure chairs like that.. and they are a REALLY bad idea... tough to disinfect (I'd think)... you can't believe how much fungus and stuff can get transmitted during pedicures.

 

[JMORRISON]

Thanks for replies. The applicant has now submitted one pedicure chair on the floor. The pedicure chair and access space are not included in the ICC/ANSI.

See mechanical section for ventilation

Jeff Morrison