Health, safety and hygiene in the salon
Health, safety and hygiene in the salon
This domain tests how you apply salon law and safety controls to real client situations: risk assessment, cleaning and disinfection, waste, electrical safety, PPE and accident reporting. The exam expects you to distinguish cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation, and to name the correct control for a hazard rather than a vague 'be careful'.
Core rules
- Clean visibly soiled surfaces before disinfecting; disinfectant works only on clean surfaces.
- Use the manufacturer's contact time and dilution. A stronger mix is not automatically safer.
- Treat blood and body fluids as infectious. Wear gloves, use paper towels, bag waste as clinical or offensive waste per local rules, and disinfect the area.
- Store chemicals in original labelled containers, away from heat and clients; never decant into drinks bottles.
- Test electrical equipment and check plugs, leads and RCD protection before use.
- Record accidents, reactions and near misses; report notifiable incidents to the responsible person.
Worked example
A client's scalp bleeds slightly during a colour service. The stylist wears gloves, stops the service, dabs the area with a disposable towel, bags the towel as contaminated waste, cleans the bowl with detergent then disinfectant at label contact time, and records the incident. Reasoning: visible soil protects microbes, so disinfectant alone is unreliable; recording supports client care and legal defence.
Traps that cost marks
Calling a UV cabinet a steriliser; skipping pre-cleaning; using a disinfectant at double strength; leaving a spill unrecorded; wearing gloves as a substitute for handwashing; storing peroxide in an unlabelled bottle.