Public Health InternAt — River Nails & Spa

The Public Health Intern will assist in promoting a safe and healthy workplace environment at a nail salon by applying principles of environmental and occupational health. This academic internship supports both staff wellness and client safety by identifying health risks, recommending improvements, and supporting compliance with public health regulations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct informal assessments of the salon’s sanitation, hygiene, and safety practices in alignment with California Department of Public Health and OSHA standards.
• Observe and evaluate the use and storage of hazardous chemicals (e.g., acetone, formaldehyde, acrylics) and make recommendations to improve handling and ventilation.
• Develop educational health promotion materials (posters, flyers, or infographics) for salon staff and clients on topics such as proper hand hygiene, chemical exposure, and ergonomics.
• Assist with implementation of waste reduction and safe disposal procedures for hazardous salon materials.
• Collaborate with salon management to improve employee wellness (e.g., back health, respiratory health, stress).
• Track and document findings and progress toward improved environmental and occupational health conditions.

Tasks:

The student intern will engage in professional and pre-professional public health activities focused on environmental health, workplace wellness, and health education, including: • Conducting Environmental Health Assessments: Observe and evaluate the nail salon’s air quality, ventilation systems, surface sanitation practices, and chemical storage areas using public health checklists and OSHA/CalEPA guidance. • Developing Health and Safety Materials: Create culturally and linguistically appropriate educational materials (e.g., posters or flyers) for staff and clients on topics such as chemical safety, personal protective equipment (PPE), infection prevention, and ergonomics. • Evaluating Workplace Practices: Observe employee behavior and salon protocols to identify public health risks related to repetitive motion injuries, chemical exposures, or lack of protective gear. Document findings and provide improvement suggestions. • Researching Public Health Policies and Regulations: Conduct reviews of local, state, and federal workplace safety standards relevant to nail salons (e.g., Healthy Nail Salon Program, Cal/OSHA regulations), and help assess the salon’s compliance. • Assisting with Implementation of Healthy Salon Practices: Support the salon in making low-cost health improvements such as promoting glove use, improving waste management, or offering guidance on selecting less-toxic products. • Data Collection and Reporting: Maintain a detailed log of observations and tasks, and assist in summarizing findings into a final project or report for salon management and/or academic supervisor. • Participating in Staff Discussions: Join informal staff meetings (if applicable) to gather insights on staff concerns and help tailor health messaging to real-world needs.

Training:

• Initial Employer Orientation (Mandatory): Introduction to the salon’s operations, safety policies, chemical use protocols, client services, and daily workflow. • Weekly One-on-One Mentor Meetings: Intern will meet with the salon manager or designated supervisor weekly to review progress, address questions, and receive feedback on assignments. • Job Shadowing: Intern will shadow various staff to observe safe and unsafe workplace practices, such as sanitation procedures, chemical handling, and ergonomics during nail services. • Environmental Health Walkthrough Training: Supervisor will guide intern through the salon’s cleaning processes, ventilation system, and chemical storage to help assess compliance with health codes. • Health Education and Communication Guidance: Intern will be supported in developing culturally appropriate health education materials by reviewing past examples and receiving guidance on design and message framing. • Literature Review Support: Intern will be provided with access to public health regulations, factsheets (e.g., from OSHA or the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative), and example policies to inform their assessments and recommendations. • Documentation and Reporting Skills: Training on how to maintain field notes, create observational checklists, and draft summary reports for salon health improvements.

Learning outcome:

• Apply public health knowledge in a real-world, community-based setting. • Demonstrate skills in health communication, risk identification, and environmental safety. • Understand how workplace environments influence health outcomes for workers and clients. • Gain experience translating public health theory into practical interventions.