Body piercing hygiene standards

Body piercing can be carried out on a number of locations around the body. This fact sheet relates to all body piercings except ear and nose.

Last updated: 09 August 2011

Standards for body piercers

Body piercers should be appropriately trained in body piercing and infection control. The following minimum standards are recommended.

Premises

• All skin penetration premises must be registered with the local council. The register is to be made available for public viewing.
• The premises must be in a clean and hygienic condition at all times.
• A hand wash basin with hot and cold running water is required in the premises and is recommended to be in the treatment area.
• Soap or other hand cleaning substance is required to be at the hand wash basin.
• Paper towel or other single use hand drying equipment is required to be at the hand wash basin.
• The construction of the premises should meet with local council requirements.
• The finish on all surfaces within the piercing area should be made of materials that are easily cleaned.
• Fittings in the piercing area such as benches should be cleaned between each client and/or a clean covering placed over the treatment surface.
• Adequate lighting is recommended.

Personal Hygiene

• Body piercers must wash their hands before and after attending a client.
• A clean gown or apron must be worn during a body piercing procedure.
• Cuts or wounds must be covered by a waterproof sealed bandage.
• When carrying out a piercing, single use gloves must be worn.

Equipment

• All equipment must be cleaned between uses.
• Equipment that is used to penetrate the skin must be sterilised before it is used and maintained in a sterile clean condition.
• It is recommended to use single use equipment wherever possible.
• All single use equipment should be disposed immediately afer use.
• Details of the sterilisation process must be recorded. (See fact sheet "Sterilisation information for the skin penetration industry")

Procedures

• All necessary equipment should be set up just prior to the piercing.
• The skin to be pierced should be cleaned with a skin antiseptic.
• All equipment that penetrates the skin must be sterilised .
• A sterile pack should be used which contains sterile equipment including a sterile tray where sterile items can be safely placed.
• Sterile packaging should only be opened when ready to perform a piercing.
• Only sterile jewellery is to be inserted into the opening. Some jewellery can not be sterilised, check compatibility.
• Contact with sterile equipment should not occur unless sterile gloves are worn. Single use gloves are not sterile unless specified.
• If an injectable anesthetic or other scheduled substance is used, it must be dispensed by a registered medical practitioner.

After Treatment

• Single use gloves should be disposed of immediately after the procedure.
• All equipment should be cleaned after a procedure.
• Single use equipment must be disposed of after use.
• Single use sharps must be disposed of into an approved sharps container.
• Re-useable sharps must be sterilised before reuse. (See fact sheet "Sterilisation information for the skin penetration industry")
• Details of the sterilisation process must be recorded.
• All waste should be bagged appropriately and disposed daily. It is illegal for sharps or other clinical/biohazard waste to be disposed of in the general waste stream.
• After care instruction should be provided to the client on cleaning the site and jewellery, infections, healing times and what to look for.
• There should be no exchange of jewellery once inserted into an opening.

Related information and links

• NSW Health website for skin penetration industry:  http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/PublicHealth/environment/general/body_grooming.asp