New Yorkers are getting burned — literally — at some Big Apple tanning salons, which have a raft of critical health and safety violations, The Post found in a review of the city’s first-ever industry inspection reports.
Among the violations at the 42 salons: failing to warn patrons of the danger of overexposure to ultraviolet rays, failing to post signs that serving minors is prohibited, failing to test disinfectants and failing to have manufacturing manuals for UV devices on the premises, the reports show.
At least one of the salons inspected was ordered to temporarily shut down after being deemed a “public health hazard,” records show.
Of those salons inspected, 16 were cited for conducting business without a valid operating permit, health officials said. Others were caught illegally tanning minors under the age of 17.
According to city records, beyond-the-pale violators included:
- Big Six Fitness in Woodside, which was closed after inspectors found that its remote timer controls, used to limit patrons’ exposure to UV rays, were broken.
The firm was hit with eight violations, including charging patrons $3 to wear eye protection that the law requires salons to provide for free.
Big Six Fitness staffers said the business no longer operates tanning beds.
- Beach Bum Tanning on the Upper East Side, which was slapped with 12 violations Oct. 2, 2014, including a citation for installing incompatible replacement lamps in tanning devices.
“A patron reported injury occurred in this tanning bed device,” the inspection report said.
A Beach Bum Tanning outlet in Middle Village, Queens, also failed to report an injury, according to the report — “a burn to the patron due to tanning in one of BBT beds.”
But the salon’s operations director, Vanessa Pace, claimed, “We went to court and all . . . violations were dropped. We won the case.”
- The Tanning Loft of New Dorp in Staten Island, which allowed at least four customers under the legal age of 17 to tan, a health inspector said after a Sept. 29, 2014, visit.
Owner Joe Costa said the violations were dismissed on appeal.
- Perfect Tan in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where two of the UV machines were barred from usage because they didn’t have federally approved safety labels. The salon also didn’t have an operating permit.
“I rectified the problem within a day or two,” said the salon’s manager.
- Boca Tanning Club in Bayside, Queens, which according to records was hit with 11 violations.
A 2014 state law gave the city Health Department the authority to regulate tanning salons. The city inspects all 124 registered salons once every two years.
Additional reporting by Sophia Rosenbaum