Section 270. Sanitation and safety standards for spas and schools

A. Sanitation and safety standards.

1. Any spa or school where esthetics services are delivered to the public must be clean and sanitary at all times.

2. Compliance with these rules does not confer compliance with other requirements set forth by federal, state and local laws, codes, ordinances, and regulations as they apply to business operation, physical construction and maintenance, safety, and public health.

3. Licensees shall take sufficient measures to prevent the transmission of communicable and infectious diseases and comply with the sanitation standards identified in this section and shall ensure that all employees likewise comply.

B. General sanitation and safety requirements.

1. All furniture, walls, floors, and windows shall be clean and in good repair;

2. The floor surface in the immediate work area must be of a washable surface other than carpet. The floor must be kept clean, free of debris , dropped articles, spills and electrical cords;

3. Walls and ceilings in the immediate work area must be in good repair, free of water seepage and dirt;

4. A fully functional bathroom with a working toilet and sink must be available for clients. Fixtures must be in good condition. The bathroom must be lighted and sufficiently ventilated. There must be antibacterial soap and clean individual towels for the client's use;

5. General areas for client use must be neat and clean;

6. Electrical cords shall be placed to prevent entanglement by the client or licensee;

7. Electrical outlets shall be covered by plates;

8. The spa area shall be sufficiently ventilated to exhaust hazardous or objectionable airborne chemicals, and to allow the free flow of air; and

9. Adequate lighting shall be provided.

C. Equipment sanitation.

1. Service chairs, wash basins, sinks, showers, tubs, tables, and workstations shall be clean. Floors shall be kept free of waste materials. Instruments shall be cleaned and disinfected after every use and stored free from contamination;

2. The top of workstands shall be kept clean;

3. The work area shall be free of clutter, trash, and any other items that may cause a hazard;

4. Equipment shall be placed so as to prevent any accidental injury to the client or licensee; and

5. Electrical appliances and equipment shall be in safe working order at all times.

D. Articles, tools and products.

1. Any multiuse article, tool or product that cannot be cleansed or disinfected is prohibited from use;

2. Soiled implements must be removed from the tops of work stations immediately after use;

3. Clean spatulas, other clean tools, or clean disposable gloves shall be used to remove bulk substances from containers;

4. A clean spatula shall be used to remove creams or other products from jars. Cosmetic containers shall be recovered after each use;

5. All appliances shall be safely stored;

6. Presanitized tools and implements, linens and equipment shall be stored for use in a sanitary enclosed cabinet or covered receptacle;

7. Soiled towels, linens and implements shall be deposited in a container made of cleanable materials and separate from those that are clean;

8. No substance other than a sterile styptic powder or sterile liquid astringent approved for homeostasis and applied with a sterile single-use applicator shall be used to check bleeding; and

9. Any disposable material making contact with blood or other body fluid shall be disposed of in a sealed plastic bag and removed from the spa or school in accordance with the guidelines of the Virginia Department of Health and OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).

E. Chemical storage and emergency information.

1. Spas and schools shall have in the immediate working area a binder with all Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provided by manufacturers for any chemical products used;

2. Spas and schools shall have a blood spill clean-up kit in the work area;

3. Flammable chemicals shall be stored in a nonflammable storage cabinet or a properly ventilated room; and

4. Chemicals that could interact in a hazardous manner (oxidizers, catalysts and solvents) shall be separated in storage.

F. Client health guidelines.

1. All employees providing client services shall cleanse their hands with an antibacterial product prior to providing services to each client;

2. All employees providing client services shall wear gloves while providing services when exposure to bloodborne pathogens is possible;

3. No spa or school providing esthetics services shall have on the premises esthetics products containing hazardous substances that have been banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in esthetics products;

4. No product shall be used in a manner that is disapproved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and

5. Esthetics spas must be in compliance with current building and zoning codes.

G. In addition to any requirements set forth in this section, all licensees and temporary license holders shall adhere to regulations and guidelines established by the Virginia Department of Health and the Occupational and Safety Division of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry.

H. All spas and schools shall immediately report the results of any inspection of the spa or school by the Virginia Department of Health as required by § 54.1-705 of the Code of Virginia.

I. All spas and schools shall conduct a self-inspection on an annual basis and maintain a self-inspection form on file for five years so that it may be requested and reviewed by the board at its discretion.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 23, Issue 25, eff. September 20, 2007.

Statutory Authority

§ 54.1-201 of the Code of Virginia.