Health and safety in nail bars

It is important that any nail treatments are done safely. This is to avoid health and safety issues for the technician or the client.

Infection Control
Hand hygiene	Staff should wash hands before and after each client.
Cleaning	Good house keeping is essential, and workstations should be disinfected after each client. Staff should never eat, drink or smoke at their workstations.
Disposable equipment	Wherever possible you should use disposable equipment, such as single use nail files and cuticle pushers. These items cannot be cleaned and must be disposed of after each client.
Disinfection of tools	Metal tools such as scissors or nail clippers should be disinfected after every use. For best practice you could use an autoclave to sterilise the tool.
Waste disposal	As a business you must have provisions to remove your waste. This includes general waste, clinical waste, and sharps.
Staff illness	If staff are unwell with anything contagious (sickness, diarrhoea, skin conditions, etc) they should not provide treatments to prevent the spread of infection.

Use of Chemicals
Storage	Chemicals should be stored in labelled, sealed containers away from heat sources and out of reach of customers.
Staff training	All staff should be trained on how to use the chemicals as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Personal protection equipment	Gloves and masks should be worn by staff when handling chemicals.
Ventilation	Adequate ventilation must be in place to reduce inhalation of fumes from nail products (acrylics, gels, solvents).

Client Care
Patch test	You should carry out patch testing for new customers / products, to avoid allergic reaction
Skin checks	You should avoid treating on clients with broken skin or skin infections.
Aftercare	Clear aftercare advice should be provided either verbally, leaflet or accessible online. Ensure customers know they can come back to you if an issue develops.
Electric nail files	Electric nail files should be used on artificial nail overlays only. They should not be used in direct contact with the natural nail, cuticle or skin. Used drill bits must be cleaned between clients by first washing and then disinfecting.

Joining a trade association is a good way to stay up-to-date with the requirements in your industry. We have listed some below:

If you would like further advice on this matter you can contact environmental health

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We have also provided links below which you may find useful