Work Health and Safety and Hygiene in the Salon
Why this domain matters
Every practical task in a barbershop sits on top of a safety and hygiene framework. Questions in this area test whether you can identify hazards, apply the hierarchy of control and follow infection-control routines without being prompted.
Core concepts to know
Understand your legal duty of care to clients, colleagues and yourself, and the requirement to report hazards and incidents. Learn the hierarchy of control from most to least effective: eliminate the hazard, substitute it, use engineering controls (ventilation, guards), apply administrative controls (signage, procedures, training) and finally personal protective equipment. PPE is the last line of defence, not the first. Know the difference between cleaning (removing visible soil), disinfection (reducing pathogens on surfaces and tools) and sterilisation (destroying all microorganisms, rarely required in barbering). Learn which items are single-use, which must be disinfected between clients, and how to handle a blood or body-fluid exposure. Understand safe chemical handling: SDS availability, dilution ratios, ventilation, gloves and eye protection. Know manual-handling basics, electrical safety and tagging, trip and slip hazards, and emergency procedures including fire exits and first aid.
Traps in exam questions
Watch for distractors that put PPE before elimination, or that treat a quick wipe as disinfection. Questions often ask what to do first after a cut or spill - the answer is usually to stop, protect yourself and follow the exposure procedure, not to finish the haircut. Another trap is confusing disinfection with cleaning.
Rule of thumb
If a question asks for the most effective control, choose elimination or substitution. If it asks what to do immediately, choose the action that protects people first, then clean and report.
Worked example
A razor nicks a client and blood appears. Stop, put on gloves, dispose of contaminated single-use items in the correct bin, disinfect reusable tools, clean the area, record the incident and advise the client - in that order.