Ontario Regulation 136/18 – Personal Service Settings
Changes under the Health Protection and Promotion Act – Ontario Regulation 136/18 – Personal Service Settings
Dear Operators of Personal Service Settings (PSSs),
The Ontario government recently made changes to the Personal Service Settings Regulation under the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA). The changes include exemptions for PSSs offering only barbering and hairdressing from:
- Obtaining the name and contact information of the person seeking the service; and,
- Having a dedicated sink for reprocessing equipment (i.e., cleaning tools) if they are able to reprocess reusable equipment before the beginning and after the end of each business day.
What this means for you:
1) Client contact information
Operators of PSSs providing only barbering and hairdressing services will be exempt from collecting the name and contact information of clients. Collecting the name and contact information of customers is still required in the event of an injury or accidental blood/body fluid exposure.
Records related to accidental exposures to blood or body fluids (e.g., client or worker incidents such as cuts, burns, or other injuries), are to be maintained regardless of what services you provide and include:
- The date of the accidental exposures to blood or body fluids;
- The service being provided when the exposure occurred;
- The part of the body that was exposed to blood or body fluids;
- The name and contact information of the person providing the procedure when the exposure occurred;
- The action taken by the person providing the procedure in response to the exposure; and
- The name and contact information of the person who was exposed to blood or body fluids.
Contact information is required for all customers in all PSSs that offer services beyond barbering and hairdressing. When other services are available at your business, such as waxing or nail services, contact information must be collected for all clients, regardless of what service they are receiving.
2) Dedicated Reprocessing Sink
PSS Operators providing only barbering and hairdressing services and are that able to reprocess reusable equipment before the beginning and after the end of each business day are exempt from having a dedicated sink for reprocessing equipment.
Examples of reusable equipment that require cleaning and disinfection between uses:
- Shaving razor handles and cradles
- Crochet hooks used for cap highlights
- Hair scissors
- Colour mixing bowls
- Combs, brushes
- Hair clipper guards and shaver guards
- Hair rollers, clips, caps
- Handles for hairstyling razors
What is meant by “able to reprocess reusable equipment before the beginning and after the end of each business day”:
- Be able to demonstrate that you have enough reusable equipment to provide services to as many clients that you will have in a day (i.e. enough combs, scissors, razor handles etc. for each client),
- Be able to demonstrate that you have an existing sink (i.e. hair washing, bathroom, laundry etc.) to clean and disinfect their equipment in a safe and sanitary manner at the beginning and end of each day.
If the above conditions cannot be demonstrated, you would not meet the exemption and would be required to have a dedicated sink that meets the requirements of the regulation for the purpose of reprocessing reusable equipment.
A copy of the complete requirements and exemptions of the Regulation can be found at https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/180136. Non-compliance with the requirements of the Regulation may result in fines (including tickets being issued) under the Provincial Offences Act.
If you have any questions, please contact the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit and ask to speak with a Public Health Inspector in the Infectious Disease Program.