Skin penetration procedures
Skin penetration is any process that involves piercing, cutting, puncturing, or tearing of a human body.
It does not include:
- cutting, shaving or hair dyeing
- closed ear piercing or the use of test equipment.
Code of practice
If your business performs skin penetration procedures, you must be licensed and comply with the ACT Health Infection Control for office practices and other community-based services Code of Practice 2005.
Infection control guidelines
The ACT Health Infection Control Guidelines for office practices and other community-based services help businesses to comply with the code.
The guidelines are based on the key principles of infection prevention and control and outline procedures to prevent or stop the spread of infections.
It is important for your business to follow infection prevention and control procedures to protect your staff, clients or patients from preventable infections.
Types of businesses
This includes:
- dental practices
- podiatry clinics
- acupuncture clinics
- cosmetic skin clinics
- colonic irrigation clinics
- dry needling practices such as physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors
- beauty salons
- tattoo studios
- body piercing studios
- nail salons
- Hijama clinics
- infusion therapy clinics
- ear piercing businesses, excluding businesses that only pierce the lower lobe with an apparatus that uses sealed and pre-sterilised disposable fittings
- any mobile practitioner providing any of these services – some business types may be restricted to premises-based.
Find out more about:
- how to apply for, vary or transfer an infection control license
- what happens when your skin penetration business is inspected
Other business types that don't need a licence
If your business performs carries on an infection risk procedure (but not skin penetration) an infection control licence is not required.
However, you are required to comply with the Infection Code of Practice.
Some examples include hairdressing, eyelash extensions and massage treatments.
The hairdressing guidelines details how hairdressing businesses (including barbering) can comply with the code.
You should refer to the ACT Health Infection Control Guidelines for office practices and other community-based services to help comply with the code.
You can discuss your infection control licencing and obligations with a public health officer on 02 5124 9700 or hps@act.gov.au.
Public health complaints
If someone complains about hygiene standards at your business, public health officers hold regulatory powers and a public health officer from the Infection Prevention and Control Unit will investigate.
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