Reopening: Guidance for Hair and Nail Salons - aiha.org - Guidance Document
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Reopening:
Guidance for
Hair and Nail Salons
Guidance Document
aiha.org
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Version 1 | May 1, 2020
Guidance Document
Reopening: Guidance for Hair and Nail Salons
Small and medium (especially non-chain) hair and What should the Employer do to
nail salons have been very challenged during the
COVID-19 pandemic as they are viewed as “non-es-
protect themselves and their customers
sential” by state governments. Many have been Hair and nail salon owners should continually moni-
forced to lay off or furlough key staff members, tor international (World Health Organization (WHO)),
which may complicate re-opening as states start to federal (CDC), state, and local guidelines for chang-
relax shelter-in-place and stay-at-home restrictions. es in recommendations, cleaning strategies, and
other best management practices. Employers should
With such restrictions beginning to lift, hair and nail also consider developing a team of professionals to
salons are faced with difficult questions that must be monitor, assess, and implement new strategies as
addressed before reopening, such as: they become available. In addition, employers should
consider the following strategies for reducing the
• How can we protect our employees and customers
risk of COVID-19 transmission in regards to physical
from the disease while in our salon?
distancing, ventilation, enhanced cleaning practices,
• How do we assure our customers that we are do- restrooms, food preparation areas and contact sur-
ing all we can to protect them from the disease? faces, personal hygiene, employee wellness, person-
• How can we minimize the risk of disease transmis- al protective equipment, training, waste and laun-
sion if those that are ill or those who have had con- dering, and communication.
tact with positive COVID-19 people that enter our
Physical Distancing
store?
• Limit the number of customers in the shop at one
• What do we do if a customer is sick or not follow-
time. Only those customers that are actually get-
ing guidelines?
ting their hair or nails done should be inside the
premises. There is no need to check in at a front
Measures can be taken to reduce the risk of trans- desk or to sit in a reception area.
mitting COVID-19 from person-to-person spread • Consider establishing a process for clients to re-
through respiratory droplets. The use of personal main in their cars / outside of the salon until they
protective equipment, physical barriers, minimizing are notified (either by text or phone call) that their
customers in the salon at one time, appropriate dis- chair is open, and it has been properly disinfected
infectant procedures, etc. can be put in place to help from the previous client.
minimize the potential for exposure and the spread
• Establish an isolated area for all delivery compa-
of the virus.
nies to drop off materials and supplies (i.e., mini-
This document offers practical guidance for hair and mize their presence in the salon).
nail salon owners to implement interim measures to • Establish pre-pay systems or self-checkout sys-
reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. It address- tems (e.g., portable credit card portals at each
es the key questions above and provides tips for em- chair which is cleaned after each use). Discourage
ployees and customers. the use of cash.
• If a pre-pay system is not feasible, place a
plexiglass partition between cashier clerks and
customers.
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©aiha 2020 DISCLAIMER: These are meant to be general guidelines to help you re-open your establishment. Page 2 of 7
Always follow local, state and federal laws and guidelines.Guidance Document
Reopening: Guidance for Hair and Nail Salons
• Customers should use his/her own pen to sign – Maximize fresh air through your ventilation
credit card authorization. If pens must be used and system.
provided by the salon, they should be disinfect- – Maintain relative humidity at 40-60%
ed between each use. The same would apply for
– Ensure restroom is under negative pressure.
touch-pad use.
– If you don’t know how, ask an HVAC professional
• Since the 6-foot social distance guideline is not
and see ASHRAE updates for more information.
practical in nail salons, to minimize facial contact,
wear a face shield or install a plastic partition be- • Consider using portable HEPA filtration units.
tween the employee and client with ample space • If fans such as pedestal fans or hard mounted fans
cut out where hands or feet can be slid underneath are used in the salon, take steps to minimize air
to conduct the manicure or pedicure. from fans blowing from one person directly at an-
• Require all clients to wash their hands or use hand other individual. If fans are disabled or removed,
sanitizer before working on their nails. employers should remain aware of, and take steps
to prevent, heat hazards.
• Limit face to face interaction as much as possible
when cutting / working on hair (e.g., stand behind Enhanced Cleaning Practices
the client as much as possible and always wear a • Select appropriate disinfectants – consider effec-
face mask). Consider wearing a face shield as well tiveness and safety
to further protect the client. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• As an initial step with each client, thoroughly wash has developed a list of products that meet EPA’s
and dry (with towel) their hair before performing criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2.
any work. NOTE: For those clients that require col- – Review product labels and Safety Data Sheets
or, stylist will not typically wash the hair prior to and follow manufacturer specifications.
treatment because of adverse effect on coloring – Consider consulting industrial hygiene experts if
process. additional advice is needed.
• Train staff on proper social distancing relative to • Establish a disinfection routine.
other customers in the shop (that are not their di-
– Ensure disinfection protocols follow product in-
rect client).
structions for application and contact time.
• Use social media and other communication to ed-
– Hair dressing and salon chairs / seats, combs and
ucate customers/clients on the steps being taken
other hair styling tools, point of purchase, credit
for their protection and what they need to do to
card payment station should be disinfected after
protect staff as well.
each customer.
• Discourage customers from touching items they
– Consider covering chairs in a non-porous mate-
don’t intend to purchase if absolutely necessary.
rial for easy clean up or use a disposable cover
Ventilation as used in dentist or medical offices. As noted
• Get fresh air to the customers and staff and prop- above, clean HVAC intakes and returns daily.
erly utilize ventilation system. Some ways to do – Consider using a checklist or audit system to
this or seek help: track how often cleaning is conducted.
AIHA | 3141 Fairview Park Dr., Suite 777 | Falls Church, VA 22042 | aiha.org
©aiha 2020 DISCLAIMER: These are meant to be general guidelines to help you re-open your establishment. Page 3 of 7
Always follow local, state and federal laws and guidelines.Guidance Document
Reopening: Guidance for Hair and Nail Salons
– Wipe down / disinfect all cutting and other tools • If only one restroom is available, consider providing
(e.g., combs, brushes, etc.) between clients and a key so disinfection measures can be better con-
at the beginning and end of each shift. Alterna- trolled.
tively, stylists should have ample supply of combs • Upon exiting the bathroom, provide a hand clean-
and other tools at their disposal (all implements ing area for clients to disinfect their hands com-
should then be disinfected, washed at the end of pletely.
the day).
Personal Hygiene
– All nail tools should be disinfected between use
or be single-use only. • Establish a “before and after service” hand wash-
ing or sanitizing for all staff.
• Consider allowing return customers the option
to buy their own nail tool kit. • Provide hand washing stations at the front of the
establishment or alternatively, hand sanitizer if not
• Smocks, towels, work clothing, etc. should be feasible for all clients that enter the shop. Upon ex-
placed in plastic bags after each use and treated iting the bathroom, upon entering and upon leav-
as potentially contaminated and laundered per ing salon, provide hand sanitizer for clients to dis-
recommendations below. infect their hands completely.
• Upon time of procedure, stylists should use paper • Provide hand sanitizer at the point of purchase.
neck strip to help ensure proper hygiene with the
client. Employee Wellness
Restrooms • Conduct employee temperature screening and
wellness checks before each shift.
• Doors to multi-stall restrooms should be able to be
opened and closed without touching handles if at – Temperature screening can include manual (use
all possible. non-contact infrared thermometers) or thermal
camera methods.
– Place a trash can by the door if the door cannot
be opened without touching the handle. – Employees can self-check temperature, while
wearing a glove, or disinfect between use.
• For single restrooms, provide signage and mate-
rials (paper towels and trash cans) for individuals – There are a number of examples available for
to use without touching the handles, and consider wellness questionnaires (see Resources below).
providing a key so disinfection measures can be • If employee is sick or receives any kind of testing
better controlled. Place signs indicating that toilet (virus or antibody), results should be reported to
lids (if present) should be closed before flushing. employer and timing/decision to go back to work
• Place signs asking customer and employees to should only be with doctor’s approval.
wash hands before and after using the restroom. Personal Protective Equipment
• Provide paper towels in restrooms and disconnect • Require the use of gloves for all staff and ensure
or tape-off hand air dryers. that the gloves are changed after each client. In ad-
• Double efforts to keep bathrooms clean and prop- dition, staff to wash their hands after each client.
erly disinfected. • Require face coverings for all staff at all times. If
possible, get n95 respirators for staff.
• Consider wearing face shields
AIHA | 3141 Fairview Park Dr., Suite 777 | Falls Church, VA 22042 | aiha.org
©aiha 2020 DISCLAIMER: These are meant to be general guidelines to help you re-open your establishment. Page 4 of 7
Always follow local, state and federal laws and guidelines.Guidance Document
Reopening: Guidance for Hair and Nail Salons
Training toms or not following guidelines (e.g., physical dis-
• Provide instruction and training to employees on tancing, wearing a face mask, etc.).
how to: • Platforms for communication could include web-
– Handle their work clothing properly at home if sites and indoor/outdoor signage.
laundry service is not provided.
– Properly put on and remove gloves. What should an Employee do to
– Clean and disinfect surfaces according to prod-
protect themselves and the customer
uct specifications. • Evaluate your health constantly, if you are sick
stay home. If you have a temperature stay home.
– Correctly use face coverings and/or respirators.
If someone at home is sick, stay home. If you have
• Provide Safety Data Sheets for cleaning chemicals allergies and sneezing, stay home.
and ensure employees are aware of the hazards of
• Wear mask when out in public and maintain phys-
use.
ical distancing.
• If advice is needed, industrial hygienists have ex-
• Wash your hands when you arrive at work, af-
pertise in selecting PPE and training.
ter each customer, after touching your mask and
Waste and Laundering when you leave work.
• Single-use items and used disinfection materials • Wear mask at work at all times (homemade, surgi-
can be treated as regular waste, following regular cal, N95 when available).
safety guidelines when handling these materials.
– If you own an N95 mask that was unable to be
• Cloth materials (smock, aprons, towels, work uni- donated, it would provide the most protection for
forms, etc.) should be washed and dried on the you and those around you.
highest temperature setting allowable for the fabric.
• Wear gloves at all times. Change out gloves be-
Communication tween customers and wash your hands.
• Communicate to customers what the retail es- • If provided, wear the face shield when working
tablishment is doing to mitigate the spread of with clients and disinfect appropriately.
COVID-19.
• Let your employer know if you have concerns about
– (e.g., disinfection routine, health policies for staff, the PPE that is being provided.
and health & safety measures in place).
• Carry a towel, if you get the urge to sneeze or
• Consider communicating to clients when it may not cough, cover your nose, mouth and mask, attempt
be a good idea to come into the salon (e.g. taking to delay the urge to sneeze or cough, immediately
care of someone who is COVID-19 positive, exhib- leave the building, wash your hands and face thor-
iting symptoms of COVID-19, being in a high-risk oughly before going back to work.
category, etc.). A questionnaire or checklist could
• Use a clean, new cape for each client. Ideally, have
be used to clear clients to enter the salon.
sufficient number of capes on hand for all clients
• Communicate that the retail establishment has the per day (so as not to re-use). Launder all at the end
right to refuse service to anyone exhibiting symp- of the day.
AIHA | 3141 Fairview Park Dr., Suite 777 | Falls Church, VA 22042 | aiha.org
©aiha 2020 DISCLAIMER: These are meant to be general guidelines to help you re-open your establishment. Page 5 of 7
Always follow local, state and federal laws and guidelines.Guidance Document
Reopening: Guidance for Hair and Nail Salons
What can a Customer can do to Resources
minimize the transmission of Covid-19 • Professional Beauty Association – https://www.
• If you are sick stay home. If you have a tempera- probeauty.org/docs/default-source/coronavi-
ture stay home. If someone in your house is sick, rus-documents/pba-back-to-work-guidelines.pd-
stay home. If you have allergies and can’t control f?sfvrsn=4afa9a9b_12
sneezing, stay home. Reschedule your appoint- • American Barber Association – https://amer-
ment to a later date icanbarber.org/wp-content /uploads/2020/04/
• Do not enter the salon until your chair is open and The-American-Barber-Association-and-coronavi-
it has been disinfected. rus.pdf
• Limit the items you touch within a store to the items • National Association of Barbers – https://nation-
you select to purchase. albarbers.org/how-to-cope-with-covid-19-in-
your-shop/
• Wear a mask, preferably the style that wraps be-
hind the ears (otherwise, certain mask styles may • Numerous wellness questionnaire examples are
interfere with the performance of the haircut or available online (e.g., https://doh.sd.gov/docu-
color treatment). ments/COVID19/BusinessScreening_Q&A.pdf)
• Wash your hands before and after you leave the • The CDC has developed cleaning and disinfec-
building if possible. If not, use hand sanitizer when tion recommendations for commercial facilities
you enter and before you leave the building. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/com-
munity/disinfecting-building-facility.html
• Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from other
customers and other employees when walking • The EPA has developed a list of disinfectants for
throughout the salon to the extent possible. use against SARS-CoV-2: https://www.epa.
gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-
• If you get the urge to sneeze or cough, put on your against-sars-cov-2
mask, cover your nose, mouth, and mask with a
napkin or handkerchief, attempt to delay the urge • ASHRAE has a list of COVID resources for com-
to sneeze or cough, immediately leave the build- mercial buildings. https://www.ashrae.org/techni-
ing, wash your hands and face thoroughly before cal-resources/resources
returning. • AIHA’s Indoor Environmental Quality Commit-
tee developed these guidance documents about
reopening and cleaning buildings after closures
due to COVID-19: https://aiha-assets.sfo2.digi-
taloceanspaces.com/AIHA/resources/Public-Re-
sources/RecoveringFromCOVID-19BuildingClo-
sures_GuidanceDocument.FINAL.pdf and https://
aiha-assets.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/AIHA/
resources/Guidance-Documents/ Workplace-
Cleaning-for-COVID-19-Guidance-Document_FI-
NAL.pdf
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Always follow local, state and federal laws and guidelines.Guidance Document
Reopening: Guidance for Hair and Nail Salons
AIHA® and controlling workplace conditions that may cause
workers’ injury or illness. Through a continuous im-
Founded in 1939, the American Industrial Hygiene
provement cycle of planning, doing, checking and
Association® (AIHA®) is one of the largest interna-
acting, OHS professionals make sure workplaces are
tional associations serving the needs of industrial/
healthy and safe.
occupational hygiene professionals practicing in
industry, government, labor, academic institutions,
and independent organizations. For more informa- Get additional resources at AIHA’s
tion, visit www.AIHA.org Coronavirus Outbreak Resource Center.
https: //www.aiha.org/public-resources/consum-
About Occupational Health and Safety er-resources/coronavirus_outbreak_resources
Professionals Find a qualified industrial hygiene and OEHS profes-
Occupational health and safety (OHS) profession- sionals near you in our Consultants Listing. https://
als (also known as industrial hygienists) practice www.aiha.org/consultants-directory.
the science of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating,
| backtoworksafely.org
Periodically scan this QR Code to check if any
new versions of AIHA’s guidance documents
have been posted, as well as to find guidance
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