Core Units: Safe, Client-Centred Beauty Practice
What the core units cover
Core units build the non-negotiable foundation of every treatment you will perform: infection control, workplace health and safety (WHS), client consultation and communication, and professional conduct. Questions in this domain test whether you can apply principles to a realistic salon scenario, not just recite definitions.
Infection control
Understand the chain of infection and where you break it: hand hygiene before and after every client, correct use of personal protective equipment, single-use items where required, and the difference between cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation. Know which items are single-use versus reusable, and how tools are processed between clients. Traps include confusing sanitising with sterilising, and assuming gloves replace hand washing.
WHS and duty of care
Know your obligations: hazard identification, risk assessment and control using the hierarchy of controls, incident and near-miss reporting, safe storage and labelling of chemicals, and safe manual handling. A common trap is choosing a low-order control (such as PPE) when elimination or substitution is the better answer.
Consultation and communication
Consultation gathers client history, contra-indications, expectations and consent. Distinguish absolute contra-indications (do not proceed) from relative ones (modify or seek advice). Communication questions test open versus closed questions, active listening, informed consent, privacy and referral to another professional when a condition is outside your scope.
Worked example
A client discloses a new prescription medication and a recent skin reaction. Rule of thumb: stop, clarify, document, and refer if unsure. You do not diagnose; you check contra-indications, seek written medical clearance if needed, adjust or decline the treatment, and record everything in the client record.
Professional conduct
Understand scope of practice, confidentiality, consent, boundaries, and complaint handling. Traps involve promising outcomes, diagnosing skin conditions, or continuing a treatment when a contra-indication appears.