Sanitary requirements for a beauty salon – what does the sanitary inspectorate require?

Beauty salons and other businesses operating in the beauty industry must comply with the sanitary requirements prescribed by law. What should be kept in mind when setting up the salon and during day-to-day work? Here are the key issues!

What sanitary requirements must a beauty salon meet?

For a long time, sanitary requirements were defined by the provisions of the Regulation of the Minister of Health of 17 February 2004 on detailed sanitary requirements to be met by hairdressing, cosmetic, tattoo and biological renewal establishments.

However, it is now no longer binding and the main requirements are decided by local sanitary authorities. However, it is worth familiarising oneself with the provisions of the now obsolete regulation, as there is a lot of helpful information there.

New legislation in this area is also being developed and a draft can be found online.

In addition, other regulations apply to the operation of a beauty salon, including:

  • Act of 5 December 2008 on the prevention and control of infections and infectious diseases in humans,
  • Act of 4 October 2018 on cosmetic products,
  • Act of 14 December 2012 on waste.

Beauty salon – basic sanitary requirements

Supervision of beauty salons and other salons in the beauty industry is conducted by the State Sanitary Inspectorate. Ongoing and emergency supervision, on the other hand, comprises the tasks of the district sanitary-epidemiological stations, i.e. SES.

To run the beauty salon safely and legally, it is necessary to meet certain sanitary requirements.

When it comes to sanitary requirements, the beauty salon should meet the following conditions:

  • The salon must be in a separate part of the building or premises or in a separate building,
  • The entrance leading to the salon should be a separate part of the building, but may be shared by all users,
  • There should be separate rooms in the salon: a service room, a waiting room or a separate area with a clothes rack, a social room, a hygiene and sanitation room,
  • The salon should have hot and cold water and sewage systems, ventilation and heating,
  • Walls at basins and sinks should be covered with a non-absorbent material to a minimum height of 1.6 m,
  • When cosmetics that cause external body contamination are used in the salon, a bathroom with a shower should be set aside in the salon,
  • The salon staff should observe personal hygiene, wear clean protective clothing and use personal protective equipment,
  • Hygiene products such as disposable liners, clean towels for customers should be used,
  • In the salon, tools and equipment must be kept in good hygienic and sanitary condition by being washed and disinfected, while reusable tools and those used in procedures causing a breach in the continuity of human tissue require sterilisation at the Cabinet Sterilisation Station,
  • Every salon should have a first aid kit.

According to an institution like SES, the beauty salon must therefore meet a number of conditions in order to operate with an emphasis on hygiene and safety.

Beauty salon furniture

As far as sanitary requirements are concerned, the beauty salon must be equipped with the right furniture, including furniture for treatments, waiting areas.

Salon furniture should be suitable for hygienic treatments and easy to clean and disinfect. This is particularly important for cosmetic chairs and cosmetic recliners. The most commonly used furniture is upholstered in eco-leather, which is easy to keep clean.

Other furnishings, including desks, wardrobes, bookcases, can be made of different materials, but should also be easy to clean, for example lacquered furniture boards, metal, glass will work well.

Should a beauty salon be reported to the sanitary authorities?

Currently, it is no longer necessary to report the start of a beauty salon to the sanitary authorities.

This is only necessary in certain situations, for example, when changing the use of the premises, when deviating from technical conditions, when needing planning permission for the premises.

It is possible to consult the design of the salon with the sanitary and hygienic requirements with the sanitary authorities to ensure that it meets the requirements stipulated by this institution.

Sanitary inspection of a beauty salon

Any salon can be inspected by the sanitary inspectorate, which will examine the sanitary conditions in the salon. This inspection may be announced or undertaken unannounced.

The inspection conducted by the sanitary inspectorate in the beauty salon includes an assessment of:

  • Documentation related to the facility such as inspections of installations, waste reception,
  • Medical certificates that there are no contraindications to work in the profession,
  • Hygienic and sanitary conditions,
  • The procedures implemented in the salon,
  • The sterilisation book,
  • Safety data sheets, attestations, certificates of products used in the salon.

When opening and running the beauty salon, it is therefore worth bearing in mind that it must meet certain sanitary requirements, which is crucial for the health and safety of employees and for the safety and satisfaction of customers.