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COVID Safe Workplaces in Hair and Beauty

As COVID-19 restrictions are gradually relaxed and shopping strips and centres continue to get busier, our hair and beauty workers are presented with dangers that could compromise their health and safety if not addressed appropriately.

The SDA have been working with Safe Work Australia (SWA) across industries to ensure appropriate steps are taken to help reduce the risks workers face.

Safe Work Australia’s steps for minimising the spread of infection in the Hair and Beauty Industry have now been released. Below is a summary of some important steps in SWA guidelines.

Ensure clients do not to enter the workplace (and to reschedule their appointment) if they:

  • have symptoms linked to COVID-19 such as fever, cough or shortness of breath or are in any way unwell,
  • have been in close contact with someone who is confirmed as having COVID-19 or is experiencing symptoms linked to COVID-19.
  • Send a text message to clients a few days before the appointment to ask clients to reschedule if they or a close contact is unwell.
  • Display signs informing clients not to enter the workplace if they or a close contact are unwell.
  • Keep contact information of clients up to date (including walk-ins) to assist health authorities if contact tracing is required.
  • Reduce the length and frequency of appointments where possible. Consider splitting services over multiple appointments
  • Stagger client appointments and start, finish and break times for workers where appropriate to minimise the number of people in the workplace at any one time
  • Limit access to the workplace or parts of the workplace to essential workers and clients only
  • Allocate worker’s their own service room, segregated bay, products and equipment and avoid sharing products or equipment or entering each other’s spaces
  • Ensure each worker has their own equipment or tools, including any appropriate PPE
  • Allocating one worker to a client and not swapping or using assistants to provide part of the service
  • Asking clients to put any towels, dressing gowns etc away in a closed laundry box after use rather than you handling those items prior to laundering
  • Clean and disinfect shared equipment after use, including client service stations and seating
  • Clean and disinfect treatment areas, equipment (including for laser and facial treatment, tattooing and piercing), headrests, product containers, spa baths and foot spas between each client
  • If paper towel or sheets are used to cover client benches, replace after each use
  • Use clean gowns, towels and tools with each client.
  • Use disposable products where possible, including sponges, mascara wands and lip liner brushes for make-up services.
  • Store clean linen in a covered cabinet
  • Use easy to clean covers over items located near workers and clients that are required for use and remove covers only while items are being used. Ensure covers are regularly cleaned
  • remove books and magazines
  • avoid offering beverages where possible and if you do, only use disposable cups
  • encourage contactless payment where possible
  • provide alcohol-based hand sanitiser in appropriate locations for clients to use, such as entries and exits, or handwashing on entering/exiting a treatment area
  • advising clients to minimise the number of times they touch their phone and other personal items as they could unintentionally transfer germs to the workplace, and
  • Clients only touching retail items are interested in purchasing.
  • Avoid unnecessary physical contact such as shaking hands, patting on back etc.
  • Tie hair back to prevent it touching the client.
  • Wash body, hair (including facial hair) and clothes thoroughly every day

For the full information including physical distancing, cleaning and other measures : Safe Work Australia Hair and Beauty industry guidelines

 

For more information on your workplace entitlements and COVID-19 click here

 

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