Rules for personal care services during advanced Level 3 lockdown

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On Friday, Minister of Small Business Development Khumbudzo Ntshavheni published a directive outlining the new guidelines for the personal care industry as part of the country's revised Level 3 lockdown rules.

The categories of services that are deemed safe to resume operations are: hairdressing, barbering, nail and toe treatments, facial treatment and make-up, body massage, and tattooing and body piercing. These permitted services may only commence with operations once ensuring full compliance with the relevant protocols for their services.

"The objectives of these protocols is to assist employers to establish an environment that mitigates the spread of Covid-19, which if properly implemented and complied with, would assist with the sustainable health and safety of the employees and customers in the personal care services industry," Ntshavheni states in the document.

"The protocols have been developed to provide a framework to mitigate and manage the Covid-19 outbreak amongst employees and customers in the personal care services industry."

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All salons are expected to adhere to the following basic health and safety guidelines for personal care businesses:

• Handwashing
• Social distancing between customers and staff wherever possible
• The use of cloth masks at all times, and more protective masks for close facial contact
• Cleaning and disinfecting of touch areas and equipment

In addition to this, the directives state that standard operating procedures for formal salons include the following.

Handwashing or sanitising:

• Provide a hand sanitising/handwashing station for customers before they enter the business premises
• Wash hands with fresh warm water and soap/sanitise hands before and after serving a client
• Sanitise/wash hands after handling cash and encourage contactless payment where possible

Cleaning of premises and equipment:

• Premises must be cleaned before and after use
• Disinfect common areas before and after use including after serving each customer
• Sanitise or wash with soap each equipment or tool before and after each use
• All bottles with products must be wiped down with a 70% alcohol solution after serving each customer and at the end and beginning of
each business day
• Fresh and clean towels must be used for each customer
• Keep windows/doors open, if possible, to ensure adequate ventilation

Personal garment and personal protective equipment (PPE):

• Arrange adequate PPE for employees (including visors and face masks if required)
• Masks must be worn at all times in line with the Guidelines of the Department of Health
• The stylist must also wear a face shield/visor that must be cleaned after serving each customer
• No customer will be served without wearing a mask
• Aprons must be changed after serving each customer and reuse can only be done after the apron has been washed with water and soap
• Where gloves are required for treatments, they should be changed after each client and should not be shared under any conditions

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Social distancing:

• Encourage pre-booking appointments to avoid long queues and waiting period
• Queuing customers must maintain 1.5-metre distance between each other
• Salons must only allow customers inside if the 1.5-metre distance can be maintained
• 1.5-metre distances must be clearly marked/demarcated at waiting areas

Compliance:

• Explain new procedures and schedules to all employees
• It is the responsibility of employee to notify the employer if they are tested positive or have been in contact with someone who is Covid-19 positive
• Explain to each customer the applicable Covid-19 protocols before they are treated;
• Put up a notice for customers on Covid-19 protocols, where possible

Access and booking:

• Employees and owners above the age of 60 or with comorbidities must be discouraged from working
• Any owner/worker and customer who has flu-like symptoms must not be allowed to work or to enter the salon
• Maintain a register of customers and persons who enter the salon on each day for traceability
• Use a booking system for treatment appointment
• No guests allowed
• Suspend the provision of all beverage and food amenities for customers

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Workstations and wash stations:

• The basin area must be cleaned after each use
• The basin area must be deep cleaned at the end of each business day
• Workstations must be cleaned and sanitised before and after each use
• Workstations must be arranged to be at least 1.5 metres apart or use cleanable partitions to separate workstations;
• No unnecessary touching and no scalp, neck, shoulders and arms massages at the basin
• Set time limits for each treatment to minimise unnecessary interactions with customers
• Only allow customers who are to receive treatment

The government gazette continues with directions for informal hair and beauty salons, as well as formal and informal tattoo and piercing parlours. The published document with detailed directions can be viewed here.

These protocols came into effect on 19 June 2020. For queries on the regulations, businesses are urged to contact the Department of Small Business (DSBD) on 0860 663 7867 or email az.vog.dbsd@ofni for clarity.