The new hygiene rules for beauty, tattoo, piercing and dermal implant salons, difficult to apply

Order 1,648/2024 updates the rules of 2007 regarding hygiene in care and beauty businesses, hairdressing/hairdressing, shaving, manicure, pedicure, cosmetic make-up treatment, tattooing, dermal implantation, piercing, massage, application of artificial nails, etc. and will enter into force from May 10, 2024.

Small salons may disappear

It’s just that, for some of the businesses on the market, it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to apply this order. For example, many of the spaces where these salons operate are no more than 20 square meters, so even if they had the money to make changes, they would not have room to set up waiting rooms.

The order provides quite drastic hygiene measures such as: the existence of a waiting area for customers of 0.9 square meters/person, spaces for storing and keeping clean, disinfected and sterile equipment, instruments and articles, storage space for equipment and materials used for cleaning, area for disinfection of used instruments, sink connected to hot and cold water or sanitary group.

Also, the salon will have to be equipped with means for the collection of hazardous waste, as well as household waste: a container with a lid, a dustbin, containers and disposable collection bags, while the collection, storage, transport and neutralization of waste will be done according to the legal stipulations in effect.

The owner of a barbershop in a village in Bihor claims that she will have no chance to keep open again, once the order comes into force.

“It’s a small 25 square meter barber shop that I open a few times a week when I have clients. I can’t even call it a business… I didn’t make much money, but it was enough for me. I will probably close next month because I have no way to comply with all the requirements”, Larisa told us.

Regular disinsection and deratization

Also, beauty salons will be required to carry out periodic disinsection every 3 months, and periodic deratization at intervals of a maximum of 6 months or whenever needed.

“When setting up the salon, it is mandatory to take measures to protect the location against insects and rodents. The beauty salon must be equipped with a sanitary first aid kit, easily accessible, according to the legal provisions in force. The floor of that part of the service area where the hair is cut or cleaned and any wall areas likely to be wet or soiled should be covered with a durable material that is easy to clean.

Ventilation must prevent condensation or the formation of excessive moisture on walls, ceilings and ensure the elimination of odors and vapors. In the absence of effective natural ventilation, adequate mechanical ventilation must be provided,” the Order of the Minister of Health states.

Tougher rules for tattoo and piercing parlors

Here the rules are stricter than in health facilities. To prevent the transmission of hepatitis B, vaccination of the operator or beautician performing such activities is recommended.

The order prohibits the performance of body piercing and dermal implant procedures on persons under the age of 16, with the exception of ear piercing for which parental/guardian consent is required. However, according to tattoo artists, these rules have already been applied for several years.

“For 10 years since I’ve been tattooing, I’ve been applying these rules. The fact that we need to vaccinate is not something new. I’ve done this before with no problems. In my entire career so far, I have had two requests to tattoo minors and I refused even if he came accompanied by a parent”, said Alex.

No problems in the salons in Bihor

In the following period, according to the spokesperson of DSP Bihor, no control activities are planned to verify the compliance of the units in Bihor county with the provisions of the Order of the Minister of Health no. 1648/2024, however, the institution performs periodic checks in these salons.

“DSP Bihor through the Department of Public Health Supervision (DSSP) and the Public Health Control Service (SCSP) carry out checks regarding the hygienic-sanitary conditions in hairdressing units and for other beautification activities regardless of the legal form of providing the activity, for example authorized natural person or SRL, in accordance with the Order of the Minister of Health no. 1030/2009 regarding the approval of the sanitary regulation procedures for the location, development, construction projects and for the operation of the objectives that carry out activities with a risk for the health of the population.

The check is carried out:
1. Upon establishment by the SCSP based on the information received from the Trade Registry,
2. At the request of the unit, by the DSSP
3. Within the thematic control actions by SCSP.

Following the checks carried out, no major deficiencies were identified (requiring, for example, the suspension of the activity), hairdressing units and other beautification activities in Bihor county comply with the hygiene rules”, Dorel Șîrț told Jurnal bihorean and Bihon.ro , the spokesperson of DSP Bihor.