Infection Control, Sanitation, and Safety
Domain 1 covers how to prevent pathogen transmission between clients and technicians and how to work safely with chemicals and tools. The exam favors practical decisions: what must be cleaned, what must be disinfected, and when a service must stop.
Core rules
- Cleaning removes visible debris; sanitation reduces pathogens; disinfection destroys most pathogens on nonporous surfaces; sterilization destroys all microbial life, including spores.
- Use an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant with the label claim you need (tuberculocidal, bloodborne pathogens) and follow the label contact time exactly. More concentrate or less time is not acceptable.
- Porous items (wood sticks, cotton, porous files) are single-use. Nonporous implements are cleaned, rinsed, dried, then immersed.
- Wash hands before and after each client; gloves supplement, not replace, hand hygiene. Wear eye protection and a mask when splashing or dust is likely.
- Keep SDS for every product, label secondary containers, and use GFCI outlets near water.
Worked example
Metal nippers have visible debris. Spraying them with disinfectant is not enough: debris shields microbes and a spray may not achieve full immersion or contact time. Scrub with soap and water, rinse, dry, then immerse fully in the correct dilution for the label time. If your state requires sterilization for cuticle nippers, autoclave after cleaning. Store dry and covered.
Traps
UV cabinets and “sanitizer” jars do not disinfect; topping off disinfectant with water changes concentration; sharing files without disinfection is a citation; and wearing gloves over unwashed hands spreads contamination.