What are the risks?
A variety of infections can be passed from operator to customer and from customer to operator if strict hygiene is not observed. These range from general infections involving red, painful swelling of the skin, sepsis and fever to hepatitis and AIDS.
What does the law say?
If you carry on the business of tattooing you must be registered with the City Council. Failure to register may lead to a fine of up to £1,000. Application forms are available on request from City Services, Environmental Health-Commercial Section, telephone 02476 831848.
Registration is dependent on compliance with the City Council's byelaws. You also have a duty of care for your employees and your customers under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The maximum penalty under this Act is an unlimited fine and/or imprisonment for up to 2 years.
Under the Tattooing of Minors Act 1969 it is an offence to tattoo a person under the age of 18 except when the tattoo is performed for medical reasons, by a qualified medical practitioner or a person working under his direction.
Infection Control
Infection control is the key to safe operations and happy customers. Establishment of safe tattooing practices including cleaning, disinfecting and sterilisation will ensure that your body art is safe and infection free.
Risk |
Application |
Recommendation |
High |
Items in close contact with a break in the skin or any open part of the skin |
Sterilisation |
Average |
Items in contact with non broken skin. |
Sterilisation or disinfection required. Cleaning maybe OK in agreed situations |
Low |
Items in contact with healthy skin or not in contact with patient |
Cleaning |
What should I know about hepatitis and Aids?
Hepatitis
The spread of hepatitis is one of the main risks in any skin piercing operation. Hepatitis is an unpleasant infection of the liver which can be very severe and sometimes results in patients being lifelong carriers of the disease without showing symptoms. The organism of most concern to practitioners of skin piercing is Hepatitis B virus. This virus spreads rapidly from person to person by contact with small amounts of infected blood, serum or tissue fluid. It has been known to survive for eight years on inanimate surfaces in a laboratory. Less than a thimble full of blood from a carrier could infect 12,500 persons. Tiny abrasions on the skin or procedures such as tattooing cause a clear film to exude; this is equally infectious. The source of Hepatitis B virus is man and in most cases long-term carriers are symptomless. At least one person has died of Hepatitis contracted as a result of unsatisfactory tattooing techniques. Blood or serum does not have to be visible on the needle or instrument to transmit infection.
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
This condition is a cause of world-wide concern at present, as the established disease is invariably fatal. Though only a percentage infected with the causative virus (known as HIV) develop the disease. The mode of infection is similar to that of Hepatitis B, namely sexual contact and activities which involve getting infected blood into another persons blood stream. Ear piercing, tattooing, acupuncture, and electrolysis, have not so far as is known, been incriminated to date but the risk in all of these is significant if proper safeguards are not in place.
What must I do to prevent infection?
You must adopt high standards of hygiene if infection is to be prevented and follow correct operating procedures. You must ensure that your employees do the same. The notes below should provide guidance and a recommended operating procedure is attached as an appendix.
Health of the Client
You must ask the client whether he/she is suffering from any infectious disease, or non infectious condition known as Psoriasis. In either case skin piercing should not take place without consulting a doctor.
Personal Hygiene
You must ensure that your own health and hygiene does not endanger the health of the client. Observance of high standards of personal hygiene is essential. All cuts and wounds must be washed and dressed with a waterproof dressing. You should wear clean washable or disposable clothing while tattooing.
If you have any cuts or abrasions, or any type of skin infection on the hand or wrist you must use gloves while tattooing. These can be vinyl examination gloves, it is not necessary to use sterilized surgical gloves. Gloves should be single use and discarded afterwards. The routine use of gloves is recommended, as they provide some protection against the viral infections already mentioned above.
Premises
It is recommended that tattooing be carried out in a screened area or separate room. These areas must be kept clean at all times. A clean table surface covered with plastic laminate or other impervious material should be available. The operator should wash their hands at least before and after each session.
Records
It is essential to keep records of the name and address of every client and the date of tattooing. Records should be kept for at least one year; records for 2009 should not be discarded until January 1st 2011.
Aftercare
The tattoo should be covered with a sterile non-stick gauze (Melolin) which is then taped to the skin; the gauze permits ventilation and aids healing. Antibiotic or antiseptic creams should not be used except under a doctor's supervision when infection has occurred.
Disposal
All waste matter except needles and including swabs, paper towels and tissue should be collected in a sealable plastic bag or box and incinerated, or autoclaved before disposal. Particular care should be taken with the disposal of needles, a stout sharps only box is recommended. Disinfectants may be poured carefully down the sink after use and flushed with running water.
Special arrangements must be made for the disposal of sharps boxes and sealed waste bags they should not be allowed to enter the public refuse collection system.
What equipment do I need?
Recommended equipment for good hygiene will include:
• Autoclave and ultrasonic cleaner
• Autoclave metal syringe or spatula
• Disposable razors or metal safety razor with disposable blades
• Wide bore glass or metal tubes in a rack for holding assembled machines
• Paper tissues and cups
• Sharps disposal boxes for needles
• Alcohol-impregnated swabs, for needles
• Disinfectants
• Pedal operated waste bin with disposable liner
Appendix
Recommended Procedures
Before each session:
1. Solder new needles onto rods. If re-useable needles are used, wash the needles and rods with detergent. Wash the storage tubes with hot water and detergent.
2. Use ultrasound cleaner on the needles and bars.
Autoclave needles, rods and tubes and a pair of forceps in a stainless steel dish, or perforated metal dish. Under no circumstances should any instrument to be autoclaved be coated in Vaseline, lubricating jelly, glycerine, oil or grease before being autoclaved. Leave in the autoclave at the end of the cycle to dry out.
4. Clean down the table surfaces with disinfectant and hot water, or spirit, or phenolic compound.
Before tattooing:
5. Wash and dry hands
6. Place a large fresh paper towel on the table surface before the customer comes into contact with the table. Place the tissue or gauze used to dab the tattoo area on the towel.
7. Clean skin with a spirit swab. Shave skin. Throw away the razor.
8. Apply transfer if one is to be used.
9. Arrange the required number of pigment capsules in the holder and fill with pigment.
10. Smear Vaseline on the area with a disposable spatula or gauze. The Vaseline container must not come into contact with the client's skin.
11. Attach the sterilized needles etc; to the motor and begin tattooing
12. Needles attached to the motors must not be returned to the holding tubes once tattooing has commenced.
After tattooing:
13. When the tattooing has finished, disengage needles, rods and tubes from the motors and place in a kidney dish containing detergent and designated for used (dirty) instruments.
14. Tip the remains of the pigment with the capsules into the plastic lined bin.
15. Stick gauze to the tattooed area with adhesive tape.
16. Remove paper and all swabs or tissues used on the customer and place in a plastic lined bin.
17. Damp wipe the motors
18. Clean down table surfaces and begin at (5) again.
At end of session:
19. Take the dirty dish containing used needles etc, to the basin and wash thoroughly with hot water and detergent. Take particular care not to puncture your skin as needles will still be contaminated.
20. Also wash forceps and capsule holders.
21. Burn off needles and if they are not being re-used place in sharps box
22. Ultrasound the re-useable needles and holders
23. Autoclave needles, holders, tubes, forceps, holding tubes and capsule holders.
For further information, please contact:
The Health and Safety Team,
Commercial Section,
Environmental Health,
Broadgate House,
Broadgate,
Coventry,
CV1 1NH
Telephone: 024 7683 1848
Fax: 024 7683 2154
E-Mail: ehcommercial@coventry.gov.uk |
