Salon Safety and Sanitation
This domain tests infection control, chemical safety, and workplace safety. Questions cover sanitation, disinfection, sterilization, porous versus nonporous items, blood exposure, SDS use, ventilation, electrical safety, and fire safety.
Levels of decontamination
- Sanitation reduces visible soil and some microorganisms through cleaning.
- Disinfection kills most pathogens on nonporous surfaces using an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant; follow the label contact time.
- Sterilization destroys all microorganisms, including spores, and is not the same as disinfection.
- Porous items such as files, buffers, and wooden sticks cannot be reliably disinfected; use them once or discard them.
Safety practices
- Wash hands before and after services; wear gloves for blood exposure and chemical mixing.
- Keep SDS for every chemical, label secondary containers, and ensure ventilation.
- Blood spill: stop the service, put on gloves, clean the area, disinfect with a hospital disinfectant effective against HIV and hepatitis B, and report the exposure.
Worked example
A nail file drops on the floor. Reasoning: it is porous and cannot be disinfected reliably, so you discard it. A metal clipper that contacted blood is cleaned first, then disinfected with an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant at the labeled contact time; if the label requires sterilization, use an autoclave.
Traps that cost marks
- Calling UV cabinet use sterilization.
- Disinfecting porous files instead of discarding them.
- Shortening disinfectant contact time.
- Mixing chemicals without ventilation or PPE.
- Using a disinfectant label that does not cover bloodborne pathogens.