Reports of sub-standard hygiene at some beauty salons sparks council review

Source: Radio New Zealand

Marlborough District Council is considering whether to implement a bylaw for the appearance industry, after reports of sub-standard hygiene at some beauty salons.

The industry covers many procedures, including waxing, manicure or pedicures, derma-blading, microneedling, tattooing and body piercing.

At an Environment & Planning Committee meeting on Thursday, environmental health officers Georgia Murrin and Mary Ann Douthett told councillors they had received an increasing number of formal and informal notifications of concerns regarding practices at some Marlborough appearance industry providers.

In some cases, they had found sub-standard hygiene practices.

She said some appearance industry procedures had the potential to cause adverse health outcomes if not done hygienically. This included the risk of infection, burns or scarring and can result in time off work for patients, medical costs or even hospitalisation so standards were important to manage and avoid risk.

Murrin said complaints could be investigated under the Health Act 1956, but the council’s enforcement powers were limited.

There are 16 councils around the country that have bylaws in place to register and regulate the appearance industry.

“There are currently no national regulations that apply to New Zealand’s appearance industry although our professional body, the New Zealand Institute of Environmental Health, is actively lobbying Government to develop national legislation.”

Murrin said initial enquiries with some industry appearance businesses had shown support for industry regulation and it planned to engage in further consultation to consider whether a bylaw should be adopted.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand