Legal expert calls for tougher action on formaldehyde exposure as workers remain at risk across multiple industries

A legal expert has warned that the UK must do more to protect workers from formaldehyde exposure, as concerns grow over the long-term health risks.

Senior Associate Solicitor, Simon Matthews, warns that other European countries and the United States have been quick to introduce safety measures, yet the UK has been slower in addressing the serious risk formaldehyde causes.

Simon explained further: "Formaldehyde is used in a wide range of products and industries, from building materials and furniture to healthcare, manufacturing and beauty treatments. While it serves a practical purpose, it is also a known carcinogen, and prolonged exposure can carry serious health risks.

"That's why it's concerning that the UK continues to lag behind other countries in strengthening protections for workers who may come into contact with it every day."

The warning comes as Slater and Gordon is supporting its client, Louisa Curtis, with a formaldehyde claim, a Milton Keynes hairdresser who is now warning hairdressers and their clients about the dangers of exposure to formaldehyde through Brazilian blow-dry treatments.

Simon, who has been supporting Louisa, said: “Louisa has suffered a devastating, life-altering range of symptoms and we are investigating allegations that prolonged exposure to formaldehyde-releasing products used during hair-smoothing treatments caused or contributed to her illnesses.

Louisa said: “My health is in an unbelievable state...looking back, I started getting symptoms that affected every part of my life not long after I began carrying out these treatments. I spent years leaning over customers' heads breathing in these fumes for three to four hours, stuffing myself with hay fever tablets as I thought that would stop my eyes streaming.

"I kept going back and forth to doctors, but nobody could explain why I was becoming so unwell. At the time I didn't know there could be any connection between my work and my ever-growing list of symptoms."

However, Simon warns there are various industries that also remain unaware of these risks, beyond the beauty industry.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the main sectors most at risk of occupational formaldehyde exposure include:

Healthcare, laboratories and funeral services

Manufacturing and industrial production

Construction and building products

Textiles

Agriculture

Across these industries, formaldehyde is used in preservatives, embalming fluids and adhesives due to its effectiveness in binding materials together and prevention of decay. While it is considered as an important purpose in many industries, repeated exposure can present serious health risks overtime.

Occupational health experts have continued to raise concerns with its use in UK workplace settings, questioning if current safety measures and workplace controls go far enough to helping workers understand the risks working with formaldehyde.

Simon added: “The concerns around formaldehyde are not new. What we're now seeing is growing evidence of the long-term impact exposure can have on workers' health.

It is clear that greater awareness, improved training and stronger workplace safety measures are still needed to protect workers and inform the greater public."