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The hairdressing industry needs up to 150,000 masks each week to equip workers. But even simple surgical masks are difficult to obtain. The pharmacists association talks about a disaster.
When cutting hair, hairdressers and clients must wear masks.
Hairdressers in Switzerland have been closed for over a month. Therefore, for many clients it is a relief that they can finally cut their hair again in a week. Relaxation is also a great relief for entrepreneurs.
Mask requirement likely to come
But no regular operations are expected: Before stores reopen, they must present a concept of protection for customers and employees. The Federal Council will deal with detailed questions in the coming days. However, it is clear what measure is the focus in hairdressing salons: mask requirements for hairdressers and clients.
At least that is the concept of protection that the industrial association Coiffure Suisse has presented. While the Federal Council refrains from requiring a mask in stores and supermarkets, hygiene masks are also becoming mandatory for a wide audience in certain places in Switzerland for the first time.
In other areas where service providers and clients approach, such as physical therapy or nail salons, a recommendation or even a requirement to wear a mask can be expected. Images from neighboring countries that have already made recommendations or even introduced a mandatory system also shape perception. More and more hygiene masks will adapt to the normal everyday image in the coming days.
1 franc 50 per simple hygiene mask
But where to get? There are still bottlenecks in delivery. As Daniel Koch of BAG explained on Friday, there are currently around 20 million masks available from the federal government. 100 million units should be available by the end of April. According to Koch, a number of these should be available to industries that need masks for their protection concepts.
In pharmacies, masks are sold in many places, if at all, only in small quantities and at terrible prices. 1 franc 50 per mask is no exception, it is a multiple of the usual costs. The supply of masks is a disaster. Of course, we would like to equip people at risk with hygiene masks, “says Stephanie Balliana of the Pharmasuisse Association of Pharmacists:” Many pharmacies and pharmacies even lack hygiene masks for their own use. “And demand would skyrocket if Federal Council recommendations will be adjusted.At the federal level, neither procurement nor financing is successfully coordinated and resolved, says Pharmasuisse.
A simple calculation in relation to the reopening of hairdressing shops illustrates the magnitudes involved: according to Damien Ojetti, central president of Coiffure Suisse, around 11,000 employees work in the industry. Assuming eight hours of work and three hours of wear per mask, this results in 150,000 masks, which are required by the employer per five-day work week.
Even if the number is lower due to part-time employees, the need is much higher because, according to the association’s concept of protection, customers also have to wear a mask. And the other service providers, where skins are also shown, are not included.
Cloth masks also protect if needed
However, a mask is not always a mask. While the bottleneck for special protective masks for medical personnel is still excellent, there are common surgical masks available in stores. These are the differences between the different masks.
• Surgical masks: It is a simpler protection for the mouth and nose that is sold under the name of hygiene or surgical mask. It protects the user from infection in the most insignificant way. Hygiene masks are designed to prevent drops from falling into the air when speaking or coughing and infecting other people. Many homes still have old masks from the Avian and Swine Flu era from 2006 to 2009, when the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) recommended the purchase. These also protect the user’s environment from the corona virus, if used correctly.
• Cloth masks: Cloth masks cannot match the effect of the original made of multiple layers of fleece and paper. Ordinary cotton fabrics, such as T-shirts, bedding, or clothing, performed quite well in the test: each retained 60 to 75 percent of the disease-causing particles; however, here too, only the environment and not the user is protected. Daily cleaning is recommended (hot wash, ironing at the highest level). Similarly, a scarf worn in front of the mouth and nose protects the environment.
• Medical protection masks: The so-called FFP masks (filter masks) are made of special cloth or paper and have been shown to protect the user from viruses. However, breathing becomes difficult in the long term. If equipped with a valve, the area around the joists is also protected. Because FFP masks are rare, they should be reserved for healthcare professionals.
Coiffure Suisse looking for masks
Coiffure Suisse plans to provide information on where to buy masks on its website over the weekend. Clarifications are underway, according to Ojetti. However, the acquisition remains the responsibility of individual stores, including that of other protective materials, such as Plexiglas walls or Plexiglas visor masks, such as those for beard care or cosmetics.
The decision as to whether the masks are delivered to clients by the hairdresser or whether they are responsible for the purchase itself rests with the individual providers. It does not seem ruled out that the business in the salons will not work due to the shortage of masks.
