May 15th, tattoo services will start again in Ohio. Haircuts, nail salons and other personal services, too.
Scroll down in this story to see the complete list of mandatory guidelines and recommended best practices.
Tattoo services, hair salons, day spas, nail salons, barbershops and tanning facilities will open with recommendations from a committee formed by people in the industry.
UPDATE: While massage businesses were included in the committee, Lt. Governor John Husted says they are not yet ready to be opened.
During Gov. Mike DeWine’s briefing Thursday, Debra Penzone, president and CEO of Charles Penzone Salons, spoke on behalf of the Ohio reopening committee that was focused on these personal services.
The committee had 30 members, including representatives from barber shops, hair salons, nail salons, massage and tanning businesses. Penzone says there was a range of business sizes on the committee, from individual operators to larger chain operations. “We also had three health commissioners on each and every call with us, guiding us with their knowledge,” Penzone said.
Customers should expect some differences. They likely will be asked to stay in their cars until their appointment time is ready, instead of waiting inside the business. “If they have a lobby or a waiting area, you’re going to see the markings or the social distancing there. You won’t see the magazines or the product testing, or self serve beverages out in the waiting area,” said Penzone.
Only the person receiving the service should come into the business, unless a parent or other caretaker is needed. And expect the workers to be wearing masks. “Our professionals will be donning the masks, and asking that the clients come with the face coverings or the masks, especially with our services being so personal and so close,” Penzone said. Some businesses may choose to require customers to wear masks or other face coverings when entering the business.
And there will extensive cleaning between each guest. Penzone said that is already the approach taken by the businesses. Stylists and barbers are governed by the Ohio State Cosmetology and Barber Board. “We take a lot of classes and online education all the time, so of course we are going to go above and beyond with that as well to keep everyone safe,” Penzone said.
“I’m very proud of us coming together as an industry and uniting,” Penzone said about the committee. “The core of our working focus of our group was really how to deliver that personal service to the client, to the professional in the safest manner, and to be so inclusive of every type of business in our industry.”
Here are the guidelines issued by the state of Ohio, listed by mandatory sections and best practices recommendations:
For customers and guests, mandatory:
- Ensure minimum 6 feet between customers
- Social distancing will apply with exception that the distance between the client and employee may be less than six feet
- Specify hours for at-risk populations (e.g. elderly)
- Place hand sanitizers in high-contact locations
- Ask customers and guests not to enter if symptomatic
- Stagger entry of customers and guests
- Only clients will be allowed in the establishment for their service; unless client must be accompanied by a caregiver
For customers and guests, best practices:
- Consider having customers wear face coverings at all times.
- Health questionnaire for symptoms at entry point
- Provide face coverings upon entry
- Where possible, accept customers by appointment only
- Increase availability for curb-side pickup
- Consider suspending return policies
- Schedule appointments with adequate time in between appointments to reduce the number of clients in the establishment
- Ask clients to wait outside in their vehicle or, if not possible, at the entrance of the business with at least six feet between clients until their scheduled appointment
For employees, mandatory:
- Ensure minimum of 6 feet between employees, if not possible, install barriers
- Social distancing will apply with exception that the distance between the client and employee may be less than six feet
- Businesses must allow all customers, patrons, visitors, contractors, vendors and similar individuals to use facial coverings, except for specifically documented legal, life, health or safety considerations and limited documented security considerations.
- Businesses must require all employees to wear facial coverings, except for one of the following reasons:
- Facial coverings in the work setting are prohibited by law or regulation
- Facial coverings are in violation of documented industry standards
- Facial coverings are not advisable for health reasons
- Facial coverings are in violation of the business’ documented safety policies
- Facial coverings are not required when the employee works alone in an assigned work area
- There is a functional (practical) reason for an employee not to wear a facial covering in the workplace. (Businesses must provide written justification, upon request, explaining why an employee is not required to wear a facial covering in the workplace. At minimum, facial coverings (masks) should be cloth/fabric and cover an individual’s nose, mouth, and chin.)
- Employees must perform daily symptom assessment. Daily symptom assessments should include assessing for symptoms and taking your temperature with a thermometer and monitoring for fever. Per the CDC, symptoms include cough, shortness of breath or difficult breathing, and two of the following: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headaches, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.
- Require employees to stay home if symptomatic
- Require regular handwashing by employees
- Place hand sanitizers in high-contact locations
- Clean high-touch items after each use (e.g. carts, baskets)
- Wear gloves and dispose of gloves in between tasks in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) glove removal guidance; if gloves cannot be worn, wash hands in between tasks in accordance with CDC handwashing guidance
- Dispose of single-use materials between clients
- Maintain accurate appointment and walk-in records including date and time of service, name of client, and contact information to assist in contact tracing
- Continue to follow all guidelines in existing ORC and OAC for individual profession
- OAC 4713
- Please re-review OAC 4713-15-01, 02, 03, 13, & 15
- These sections provide pointed rules on cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitation: RC 4709 and RC 4713
- These Ohio Revised Code sections are the governing laws for Cosmetologists and Barbers, and set the overarching standards for require- ments of sanitation and cleanliness in a licensee’s business
- Additionally, the “Laws & Rules” tab on the Cosmetology and Barber Board’s website provides links and information pertaining to the rules and regulations of the industry: www.cos.ohio.gov
For employers, best practice recommendations:
- Group employees by shift to reduce exposure
- Wear eye protection when providing services in close proximity to client, when possible
- Launder work clothing daily and shower immediately upon returning home from the establishment
For physical space usage, mandatory:
- Ensure minimum of 6 feet between people, if not possible, install barriers
- Social distancing will apply with exception that the distance between the client and employee may be less than six feet
- Post social distancing signage and disinfect high-contact surfaces hourly
- Clean merchandise before stocking if possible
- Establish maximum capacity
- Discontinue all self-service refreshments
- Discontinue client use of product testers; switch to employee-only product handling
- Clean chairs and equipment before and after each use
- Discard magazines and other non-essential items in the waiting area that cannot be disinfected
For physical space usage, best practices:
- Close once a week for deep cleaning
- Maximize available checkout space to promote social distancing (e.g., space customer lines with floor markers, use alternate registers)
- Use contact-less payments where possible
- Increase capacity for delivery and curb-side pickup
- Post visible and appropriate signage to communicate to the client that thorough sanitation procedures are in place, and that service will not be provided to clients exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. Signage to be created, in consultation with the Ohio Department of Health, and distributed to licensees by the Cosmetology and Barber Board
Confirmed COVID-19 cases, mandatory:
- Immediately isolate and seek medical care for any individual who develops symptoms while at work
- Contact the local health department about suspected cases or exposures
- Shutdown area for deep sanitation if possible
Confirmed COVID-19 cases, best practices
- Work with local health department to identify potentially infected or exposed individuals to help facilitate effective contact tracing/ notifications
- Once testing is readily available, test all suspected infections or exposures
- Following testing, contact local health department to initiate appropriate care and tracing
© 2020 Cox Media Group
