ITEC Beauty Therapy (ITEC): Blood Exposure Mid-Pedicure and an Autoclave Run Once a Week

Several errors, each with a clear risk:

1. Finishing the service with a contaminated glove. Blood on the glove transfers to the lamp, trolley, the client's other foot and the therapist's face if she touches it. Cross-contamination.
2. Wiping the file with a disposable wipe and keeping it. A nail file is porous and cannot be cleaned or disinfected effectively; blood-borne viruses such as HBV can survive dried on surfaces for days. It should be single-use and discarded as clinical waste after any blood contact.
3. Reusing the foot file. Same problem - abrasive and porous, impossible to decontaminate.
4. Towel into general laundry. It should be bagged as contaminated laundry and washed at 60–71 °C or per policy.
5. Surface disinfectant spray on metal tools. Spray is for surfaces; instruments must be cleaned with detergent, rinsed, dried and then sterilised. Spray alone does not sterilise, and blood must be removed first.
6. Autoclave once a week. Instruments must be sterilised between clients; a weekly cycle means tools used on Monday are reused unsterilised all week.
7. No incident record, no exposure procedure, no written policy.

From the moment the cuticle bleeds:

• Stop. Keep gloves on, cover the toe with clean gauze and apply pressure for a few minutes; ask the client to hold it if she is able.
• Exposure check. Was the therapist's glove intact? Any cut, graze, eczema or splash to eyes or mouth? If yes - wash with soap and water (do not scrub), report immediately, attend occupational health or A&E within the hour for HIV PEP assessment, and check HBV vaccination status.
• Waste. The file, foot file and any contaminated consumables go into clinical waste (yellow bag); the towel into contaminated laundry.
• Clean. Wash hands. Clean the station with detergent, then a chlorine-releasing disinfectant at 1,000 ppm available chlorine for blood, for the manufacturer's contact time.
• Instruments. Metal cuticle knife: clean with detergent, rinse, dry, pouch and autoclave (134 °C for 3 minutes or 121 °C for 15 minutes per validated cycle); log the cycle. Use a sterile instrument or a single-use alternative for the next client.
• Client. Tell her what happened, advise her to keep the area clean and see her GP if it becomes red, hot or swollen.
• Paperwork. Complete an incident form, record the exposure and the action taken, file it, and review the policy.

The verruca is not a reason to cancel, provided standard precautions are used - but the station and timing must be managed.

• Reset the station first: new towel, disinfected surfaces, fresh water, single-use file and buffer, and a sterile or freshly autoclaved nipper.
• Cover the verruca with a waterproof plaster, wear gloves, and do not file, buff or rasp over or near it - filing aerosolises virus-laden keratin.
• Single-use abrasives only on that foot; anything used near the lesion goes into clinical waste.
• Foot spa: if used, follow the manufacturer's disinfection protocol (detergent, then disinfectant, full contact time), and change water and liner between clients.
• Tell the client what a verruca is, that it is infectious, and advise GP or podiatrist review; do not attempt to treat it.
• A verruca on the therapist's own hand would mean no nail work until treated.

Policy content: standard precautions, PPE, hand hygiene, single-use versus reusable classification, cleaning and sterilisation logs, waste streams, spill kit, blood/needlestick exposure procedure, offer of HBV vaccination, induction and annual refresher training, incident reporting and audit. Without it the salon cannot demonstrate due diligence or support an insurance claim.