Update to Covid-19 guidelines for beauty salons, spas and mobile businesses in Scotland
The latest update to the coronavirus guidance includes a Q&A section for close contact services to provide “further clarity” to beauty businesses operating in Scotland, giving a greater “understanding of what [they] need to consider and do to ensure they operate safely and within the law”.
A question and answer section on coronavirus local lockdowns has also been added to give further guidance to businesses. The Scottish Government announced new local restrictions on October 7 that will last for 16 days, but salons are not directly affected by this.
However, it’s important to note that mobile beauty services remain prohibited for the time being and spas are not permitted to fully reopen.
Some of the key Covid-19 close contact service guidelines on the Scottish Government website that beauty salons should be aware of:
- Local restrictions – The Government will be updating its website regularly to let you know if your business can continue to operate in your local area, stating it “will depend on what type of restrictions have been put in place”. See the latest information on Scottish local lockdowns here.
At the moment, beauty salons are not affected by the new local restrictions which came into force on October 7 (which will last for 16 days).
- Face coverings – Customers must wear a face covering in salon and you cannot ask a client to remove their covering. Under The Health Protection Regulations 2020 for coronavirus, your salon or spa counts as a shop, so the requirement to wear a face covering applies to any building or room used for the retail sale or hire of goods.
- Face treatments that cannot be performed from the side or behind or without the client wearing a face covering are still banned – “No treatment should be performed that requires the face covering to be removed. While beauty therapists are able to operate, certain therapies should not be performed if they break other guidance or regulations,” says the Government website.
“This means that treatments that require the removal of a face covering should not be offered or carried out, even if the client is exempt from wearing a face covering and the area is exposed. Current professional advice is that, for safety reasons, close contact services should not be performed where face coverings cannot be worn. Face-to-face treatments in any setting should not be carried out at present until government guidance changes.”
The National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF) reported on its Instagram page on October 16 that it had received confirmation from the Scottish Government that there is no exhaustive list of treatments which are banned, apart from services which require the removal of the clients face covering. “Treatments that take place face-to-face should be adapted by the therapist to reduce the time in the ‘high risk zone’ as much as possible by providing the treatment from the side or from behind the head,” explains the NHBF.
- Make-up and SPMU treatments are limited – Only eye make-up treatments can be provided at this time. “All treatments currently permissible must be applied from the side or behind the head and the clients face covering should not be removed,” explains the Government. “Given these limitations it is expected that only eye make-up can be provided at this time.”
Semi-permanent make-up (SPMU) must be performed from the side of behind and the client’s face covering cannot be removed. This may limit what SPMU treatments can be offered.
- Test & Protect – Client details should be retained for 21 days. Where details are to be retained electronically then a business needs to be registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO has produced specific guidance on this for businesses.
As a minimum, you should be retaining the client’s name and contact number or email address, along with the name of the individual who provided the treatment. Where possible, it is recommended that you note the treatment room or chair that the customer occupied while on the premises.“
It should be noted that if, at a later date, the client is identified as a case who was infectious at the time of treatment, the individual performing the treatment will be considered a close contact and required to self-isolate regardless of the control measures implemented,” says the Government website.
Is your beauty business based in England? This is the Government’s current guidance for close contact services in England.