Volume: 25S3 - July 1999
Infection Prevention and Control Practices for
Personal Services: Tattooing, Ear/Body Piercing, and
Electrolysis
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(891 KB)
Background
During the fall of 1997, the Division of Nosocomial
and Occupational Infections, Laboratory Centre for
Disease Control (LCDC), Health Canada, announced a
plan to develop infection prevention and control
practices or guidelines for three personal services:
tattooing, ear/body piercing and electrolysis. The
process for development of the guidelines included
the selection of a geographically dispersed Working
Group with representatives from industry, infection
control, environmental health, public health, and
LCDC. Some commonly asked questions and answers about
the guidelines follow.
1. What is the purpose of the guidelines?
The purpose of the guidelines is to describe
infection prevention and control practices for
personal services, including tattooing, ear/body
piercing, and electrolysis. The guidelines are based
on an assessment of potential or documented evidence
of infection risk posed by skin piercing procedures
and the principles of infection control to manage the
risk. The framework of the Harm Reduction Model is
used which, if followed, will reduce infection
control risks.
2. For whom are the guidelines written?
The guidelines are written for practitioners who
perform tattooing, ear/body piercing, and
electrolysis. The recommendations for infection
prevention and control practices in the personal
service guidelines have incorporated practical
suggestions from industry representatives.
Environmental health officers and infection control
practitioners may also find the document helpful.
3. How is the document organized?
The document is composed of three parts: Part l:
Umbrella Document for Overall Infection Prevention
and Control Practices Part 2: Specific Implications
of Infection Control in Tattooing, Ear/Body Piercing,
and Electrolysis Part 3: Literature review
4. Will the standards in the guidelines be
regulated or enforced?
The guidelines reflect standards of practice for the
prevention of infection for tattooing, ear/body
piercing and electrolysis. Any regulatory process
that governs personal services remains a provincial
public health responsibility.
5. How can I obtain further information about the
guidelines?
Please contact:
Division of Nosocomial and Occupational
Infections
Bureau of Infectious Diseases
Laboratory Centre for Disease Control
Health Canada, PL 0603E1
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0L2
Tel: (613) 952-9875
Fax: (613) 998-6413
For additional information, please call your
provincial or local public health department or
municipality, or the professional associations for
tattooing, ear/body piercing, and electrolysis.
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