Hygiene and Salon Safety
Hygiene and Salon Safety
This domain tests infection prevention, safe tool handling, chemical safety and emergency readiness. The exam asks you to choose the correct process rather than the quickest one.
Core rules
- Wash hands before and after every client, after toilet, after handling waste, and before putting on gloves.
- Classify items: single-use files, wooden spatulas, wax strips and gloves must be discarded; reusable metal tools must be cleaned, then disinfected or sterilised.
- Cleaning removes visible debris; disinfection kills most pathogens; sterilisation kills spores and all microorganisms. An autoclave is for sterilisation; a UV cabinet is not a substitute for cleaning and disinfection.
- Use hospital-grade disinfectant at the label dilution and contact time. Change solutions when soiled or at the stated interval.
- Store disinfected tools in a clean, covered container. Keep clean and dirty zones separate.
- Patch-test colour and chemical products; keep SDS information; label decanted bottles; never mix chemicals; ventilate.
- Dispose of sharps in a sharps bin; sweep hair; keep floors dry; secure electrical cords; know fire exits and extinguisher types.
Worked example
After a pedicure, metal nippers have visible skin debris. Reasoning: a disinfectant wipe is not enough because debris protects microbes and the contact time is too short. Correct sequence: scrub with detergent and water, rinse, dry, fully immerse in hospital-grade disinfectant for the labelled time, rinse if required, dry, store covered. The single-use file goes into general waste, not back in the drawer.
Traps
- Calling a UV cabinet 'sterilisation'.
- Topping up disinfectant instead of replacing it.
- Reusing single-use files or gloves.
- Storing tools in an open tray near the sink.
- Skipping a patch test because 'we have used it before'.