Beauty, hairdressing, tattoo and skin penetration

Council’s Environmental Health Services has a significant role in promoting and protecting the public health and wellbeing of persons in the Mildura Rural City Council. Public health and wellbeing includes the absence of disease, illness, injury, disability or premature death and the collective state of public health and wellbeing.

The Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 aim to achieve the highest attainable standard of public health and wellbeing by:

• Protecting public health and preventing disease, illness, injury, disability or premature death.
• Promoting conditions in which persons can be healthy.
• Reducing ways in which infections and diseases can be transmitted between persons

The Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 make it a requirement for proprietors of following businesses to register with their local council:

• Hairdressers
• Beauty Therapists
• Tattooists
• Body Piercing
• Hotels/Motels & Accommodation

These businesses all involve a great deal of contact with people and shared equipment, increasing the risk of infectious disease being transferred from person to person. As such, they must comply with certain regulations, in order to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases where possible.

To operate a business that involves any of the above activities, or to get a better understanding of the requirements that will apply to you, contact Environmental Health Services on (03) 5018 8216 or health@mildura.vic.gov.au

Requirements for Hairdressers/Beauty Therapists/Tattooists & Body Piercing

Some basic requirements must be met at premises which are planning to commence any of the following activities:

• Hairdressing
• Beauty Therapy
• Tattooing
• Body Piercing

In order to help prevent the transmission of disease and infection from client to client, and client to operator, the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 must be complied with. The regulations cover topics such as:

• Personal Hygiene – operators of registered premises must ensure that all people engaged in the business is in a clean condition, and have no exposed cuts, abrasions or wounds before carrying out a process where infection may be transmitted
• Hand washing facilities – all people working in a registered premise must ensure that easily accessible hand washing facilities are available to all staff. Hand washing facilities at a skin penetration premises must be hands free, and connected to warm running water. All hand wash basins must be provided with liquid soap and single use paper towel via approved dispensers.
• Information to clients – any premises that is providing tattooing, ear piercing, body piercing or any other skin penetration must ensure, that before the process is undertaken, written information is given directly to the person about the transmission of infectious diseases associated with the process. This information is readily available from Department of Health Website.
• Premises conducting tattooing or body piercing must ensure that the name, address and telephone number of each client is recorded and stored at the premises for a period of 12 months following the date of the last body piercing or tattooing procedure undertaken.
• Any equipment used to penetrate a person’s skin must be sterile at the time of use. After use it must be either disposed of via recognized medical waste disposal, or cleaned and sterilized in accordance with the regulations.

If you are planning on starting a new business that incorporates any of these activities, it is recommended you contact an Environmental Health Officer and discuss your plans so any specific requirements are not missed. These requirements are checked at routine inspections conducted by Environmental Health Officers. If any non-compliance is noted, the proprietor will be notified and corrective action is expected.

Infection control is taken very seriously by Environmental Health Staff, and as such, it is expected that all proprietors know and understand their responsibilities under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009. Please take the time to make yourself familiar with both of these pieces of legislation.

Further and more specific details about the requirements can be discussed by contacting Environmental Health Services on (03) 5018 8216 or health@mildura.vic.gov.au