Choking can occur when salon clients eat or drink beverages provided as complimentary amenities, when small items such as hair clips, pins, or elastic bands are accidentally placed in the mouth, or when clients aspirate water during shampoo services. A complete airway obstruction prevents breathing and can cause death within minutes if not relieved. The Heimlich maneuver, also known as abdominal thrusts, is the recognized first aid technique for relieving choking in conscious adults and children over one year of age. Staff trained in choking response can identify the signs of choking, determine whether the obstruction is partial or complete, and apply the correct intervention. This guide covers choking response training for salon staff.
While choking is more commonly associated with restaurants, salons present several choking scenarios that staff should be prepared to address. Many salons offer complimentary beverages including water, coffee, tea, and sometimes snacks. Clients consuming these items while reclined, tilting their heads, or moving during services face an elevated choking risk. Small salon items including bobby pins, hair clips, elastic bands, and foil pieces can be accidentally placed in the mouth by clients who hold them while waiting or by stylists working near the client's face.
Water aspiration during shampoo services represents another risk. Clients reclined at the shampoo bowl are in a position where water can enter the nose and throat, triggering coughing, gagging, and in some cases, aspiration. While most water contact at the shampoo bowl causes only minor discomfort, a sudden surge of water entering the airway can cause a choking response, particularly in elderly clients or those with swallowing difficulties.
Children in the salon, whether receiving services or accompanying parents, present additional choking risk. Young children explore objects by placing them in their mouths, and the salon floor may contain small objects including fallen hair clips, buttons, and product caps. Children consuming snacks brought by parents may choke if distracted or moving.
The time-critical nature of choking response makes training essential. A person with a completely obstructed airway will lose consciousness within approximately one to three minutes and can sustain brain damage or die within four to six minutes. Emergency medical services cannot arrive quickly enough to address a complete airway obstruction. The person in the salon when the choking occurs must be able to act immediately.
Choking response requirements fall under general first aid training obligations from OSHA and state regulations.
OSHA first aid requirements at 29 CFR 1910.151 require the availability of trained first aid providers in the workplace. Choking response, specifically abdominal thrusts and back blows, is a standard component of first aid training programs offered by recognized providers.
American Red Cross and American Heart Association first aid courses include choking response as a core skill. Both organizations teach abdominal thrusts for conscious adults and children and back blows combined with chest thrusts for infants.
State cosmetology board regulations may include first aid training as part of licensing or continuing education requirements. Even where not explicitly required, choking response training is consistent with the general duty of care that businesses owe to clients on their premises.
Food service regulations may apply if the salon serves food or beverages. While most salon beverage service does not rise to the level of food service requiring health department permits, the act of serving consumables to clients creates a reasonable expectation of preparedness for choking events.
Check your salon's hygiene score instantly with our free assessment tool →
Emergency response readiness reflects the safety management that the MmowW assessment evaluates. Salons with choking response training demonstrate comprehensive client care.
Determine whether any employees have current first aid training that includes choking response. Assess whether employees can demonstrate the proper technique for abdominal thrusts. Check whether the salon serves beverages or snacks that could present choking hazards. Verify that small objects such as clips and pins are managed to prevent access by young children. Review whether your first aid training program includes choking response for adults, children, and infants.
Use our free tool to check your salon compliance instantly.
Try it free →Step 1: Provide First Aid Training Including Choking Response
Enroll employees in first aid training from a recognized provider that includes choking response as part of the curriculum. The American Red Cross, American Heart Association, and National Safety Council all include choking response in their standard first aid courses. Training covers recognition of choking, the distinction between partial and complete airway obstruction, abdominal thrusts for conscious adults and children, back blows and chest thrusts for infants, and procedures for unconscious choking victims. Ensure that at least one trained employee is present during all business hours. Renew training before it expires, typically every two years.
Step 2: Train on Recognizing Choking Signs
Train employees to distinguish between partial and complete airway obstruction, as the response differs for each. A person with a partial obstruction can cough, may wheeze, and may be able to speak or make sounds. The appropriate response for partial obstruction is to encourage the person to continue coughing forcefully, as coughing is the most effective way to clear a partial obstruction. Do not perform abdominal thrusts on a person who is coughing effectively. A person with a complete obstruction cannot cough, speak, or breathe. They may clutch their throat with one or both hands, which is the universal choking sign. Their face may turn red or blue. They may make no sound at all. Complete obstruction requires immediate intervention with abdominal thrusts.
Step 3: Practice Abdominal Thrusts on Training Manikins
Practice the abdominal thrust technique during training sessions using approved choking manikins. Stand behind the choking person and wrap your arms around their waist. Make a fist with one hand and place the thumb side against the person's abdomen, above the navel and below the breastbone. Grasp the fist with the other hand. Deliver quick, inward and upward thrusts. Continue thrusts until the object is expelled or the person loses consciousness. If the person is significantly larger than the rescuer or is in a wheelchair, chest thrusts may be used as an alternative, delivered from behind the person with the fist placed against the center of the breastbone. Practice regularly to maintain skill proficiency.
Step 4: Address Special Populations in the Salon
Train on modified choking response for populations that may be present in the salon. For pregnant clients in late pregnancy, use chest thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts to avoid pressure on the abdomen. Place the fist against the center of the breastbone and deliver inward thrusts. For obese individuals where the rescuer cannot reach around the abdomen, chest thrusts are also the appropriate alternative. For children ages one to eight, the technique is the same as for adults but with less force proportional to the child's size. Kneel behind the child if needed to reach the correct hand position. For infants under one year, the technique is different: alternate five back blows with five chest thrusts while supporting the infant face-down on the forearm. These modified techniques should be practiced during training.
Step 5: Train on Managing Unconscious Choking Victims
If a choking person loses consciousness, the situation becomes more critical and the response changes. Lower the person to the floor on their back. Call 911 if not already called. Begin CPR, starting with chest compressions. Before delivering rescue breaths, look in the mouth for the obstructing object. If you can see the object, remove it with a finger sweep. If you cannot see the object, do not perform a blind finger sweep, as this may push the object deeper. Continue cycles of compressions, airway checks, and breath attempts until the obstruction is cleared, the person begins breathing, or emergency medical services arrive. This training overlaps with CPR training and reinforces the importance of having CPR-trained staff available.
Step 6: Implement Prevention Measures and Review
Reduce choking hazards in the salon through prevention measures. If the salon serves beverages, avoid serving them to clients who are reclined or in positions where swallowing is compromised. If snacks are offered, choose items that present minimal choking risk and avoid hard candies, whole nuts, and similar high-risk foods. Keep small objects such as bobby pins, clips, and elastic bands organized and off the floor to prevent children from accessing them. During shampoo services, control water flow carefully and check with clients before directing water near their face. Conduct annual choking response refresher training and practice sessions. Document all training and any choking incidents that occur.
If a salon employee is alone with a choking client and no other staff members are present, the employee must handle both the response and the emergency call. First, attempt abdominal thrusts to relieve the obstruction. If the first several thrusts do not clear the obstruction, call 911 using a speakerphone or by putting the phone on speaker while continuing to provide thrusts. Most modern phones allow 911 calls to be made quickly even while managing an emergency. If the employee is trained, continue alternating between thrusts and checking whether the obstruction has cleared. If the person loses consciousness, lower them to the floor, call 911 if not already done, and begin CPR. The 911 dispatcher will provide real-time instructions over the phone while help is en route. If the employee themselves begins to choke while alone, they can self-administer abdominal thrusts by pressing their upper abdomen against a firm object such as the back of a chair, a countertop edge, or a railing and delivering forceful thrusts.
Choking incidents involving children require the same general approach as adults but with awareness of the child's size and emotional state. For children ages one through eight, perform abdominal thrusts with appropriate force, which is less than for an adult. Kneel or bend to position yourself behind the child at the correct height. For infants under one year, use the alternating back blows and chest thrusts technique. Call 911 immediately for any child choking event, even if the obstruction appears to clear, because the child should be medically evaluated. The parent or guardian will likely be present and may be panicking. If possible, have one staff member manage the choking response while another staff member supports the parent and manages other clients in the salon. After the incident, document what happened, what object caused the choking, and what actions were taken. Review the incident to identify whether the salon can take steps to prevent similar incidents. If the choking was caused by a salon item, evaluate whether that item can be managed differently. If the choking was caused by food provided by the salon, reconsider the food items offered.
Posting choking response instructions in visible locations serves as both a training reinforcement tool and a reference during actual emergencies. Posters showing the universal choking sign, the steps for abdominal thrusts, and the steps for infant choking response are available from the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, and other organizations. Post these instructions in the employee break room where staff can review them regularly, near the reception area where beverages are served, and in the children's waiting area if one exists. While posted instructions cannot replace hands-on training, they provide a quick reference that can reinforce training during the stress of an actual emergency. Some jurisdictions require food service establishments to post choking response instructions, and while most salons do not fall under food service regulations, the practice is a low-cost, high-value safety measure. Ensure that posted instructions match the techniques taught in your training program to avoid confusion.
Choking response training prepares your salon staff for a time-critical emergency that requires immediate action. Evaluate your salon's safety practices with the free hygiene assessment tool and strengthen your emergency response capability using this guide. For comprehensive salon compliance management, visit MmowW Shampoo. 安全で、愛される。 Loved for Safety.
Try it free — no signup required
Open the free tool →MmowW Shampoo integrates compliance tools, documentation, and team management in one place.
Start 14-Day Free Trial →No credit card required. From $29.99/month.
Loved for Safety.
Não deixe a regulamentação te parar!
Ai-chan🐣 responde suas dúvidas de conformidade 24/7 com IA
Experimentar grátis