Spa Safety
York Region Public Health inspects locations that offer personal services ranging from hairdressing and barbering to invasive procedures such as microneedling, tattooing and body piercing. We also provide education to operators and workers to prevent the spread of infections. In York Region, personal service settings must pass a Public Health Inspection and display the latest green Public Health Proof of Inspection sign.
Personal services are offered at a variety of settings such as spas, medi-spas and salons and include both non-invasive and invasive services.
- Non-invasive services include manicure, pedicure, waxing, facial, hairdressing, barbering and laser hair removal
- Invasive services include tattooing, ear/body piercing, permanent make-up, electrolysis, microblading, microneedling, vampire facial, lip filler and wrinkle injection
There is a risk of getting an infection during all personal services. However, the risk is especially high for invasive services where skin is intentionally broken during these services as part of the treatment.
Five Steps to Protect Yourself from Infection
Check before you go. Before you book an appointment, check that your personal service setting is inspected by Public Health and review the results of their latest inspection report at york.ca/YorkSafe
Know what to look for before you book or once you arrive for a service. To learn more:
- Read the Be Spa Safe Guide for manicure, pedicure, waxing, facial, hairdressing, barbering and ear piercing
- Read the Invasive Personal Services Fact Sheet
Look around and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask staff how they clean, and disinfect or sterilize, and which items are single use only.
Make an informed decision and refuse service if you are uncomfortable with infection prevention and control practices. You have a right to have a safe, clean service that does not put your health at risk.
Report concerns or complaints. Call Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653, TTY 1-866-512-6228 to discuss your infection control concerns or file a complaint.
Be Spa Safe Checklists
These checklists found in the Be Spa Safe guide outline what to look for before you receive a service:
- General checklist for all spa services
- Manicure, pedicure and nail treatment services checklist
- Waxing services checklist
- Facial services checklist
- Hairdressing services checklist
- Ear piercing services checklist
Frequently Asked Spa Safety Questions
Q: Does York Region inspect spas?
A: Yes. York Region public health inspectors inspect personal service settings at least once a year to:
- Make sure they follow proper infection prevention and control practices to reduce the risk of infection
- Educate operators and workers on best infection prevention and control practice requirements
- Respond to complaints
York Region Public Health also inspects personal service settings that are temporary (e.g., special events), mobile and located in private homes. If a personal service setting passes an inspection, it will receive a green Proof of Public Health Inspection sign to post at its location.
York Region also provides personal service setting owners, operators and providers with education on how to prevent infections.
Q: How can infections spread?
A: Serious infections can spread whenever contaminated tools and surfaces, infected skin, blood or body fluid comes into contact with another person.
If personal service providers are not properly washing their hands, or cleaning, and disinfecting or sterilizing the tools and work surfaces, there is a risk of disease-causing microorganisms being transferred from one person to another. This can happen when:
- Unclean hands touch the treatment area
- Clients’ broken skin comes in contact with contaminated tools or surface
Serious infections can be spread at personal service settings such as spas, medi-spas and salons if they are not following proper infection prevention and control practices. These infections include:
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- HIV
- Skin infections
- Nail fungus
Q: How should spa tools be properly handled?
A: There are many different tools that are used during personal services. Some are to be used once (single use) and thrown away, as they cannot be properly cleaned, and disinfected or sterilized after each use. Other tools can be used more than once (reusable) but must be cleaned, and disinfected or sterilized between each client to prevent the spread of infection.
Do not be afraid to ask your personal service setting for new single-use tools before your service. To learn more about single-use and reusable tools for manicure, pedicure, facial, waxing, hairdressing, barbering and ear piercing, refer to the Be Spa Safe guide.
For additional information on invasive services including tattooing, ear/body piercing, permanent makeup, electrolysis, microblading, microneedling, vampire facial, lip filler and wrinkle infection, refer to the Invasive Personal Services Fact Sheet.
Q: How should tools and work surfaces be cleaned?
A: While all tools need to be cleaned, depending on what the tools are used for, they will need to be disinfected or sterilized. For example, tools that come into contact with blood or body fluids must be treated with a higher level of disinfectant or they may need to be sterilized. Do not be afraid to ask your personal service setting how they clean, and disinfect or sterilize their tools and work surfaces. If you are not comfortable with the infection prevention and control practices, do not be afraid to refuse the service and contact Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653, TTY 1-866-512-6228.
Q: When should I avoid getting personal services?
A: You should avoid getting personal services when you have:
- A cut, tear or open wound
- A rash or skin infection
- Irritated or severely dry and chapped skin
- Just shaved your legs (avoid getting a pedicure)
What is considered a personal service setting?
Personal service settings are places such as spas, medi-spas, salons and others that offer:
- Non-invasive services include manicure, pedicure, waxing, facial, hairdressing, barbering and laser hair removal
- Invasive services (where skin is intentionally broken) such as tattooing, ear/body piercing, permanent make-up, electrolysis, microblading, microneedling, vampire facial, lip filler and wrinkle injection
Resources for Personal Service Settings Operators and Workers
Spa Protocol, Regulation and Infection Prevention and Control Guide
Public Health inspects personal service settings as required under the Ontario Public Health Standards for Infection Prevention and Control, 2019 at least once every 12 months to ensure compliance with the Personal Service Settings Regulation 136/18 and adherence to infection prevention and control practices. This regulation does not apply to a setting where the personal services are mainly provided by a member of a health professional under the Regulated Health Profession Act, who is engaged in the practice of his or her profession.
Operators can learn about best practices by reading Guide to Infection Prevention and Control in Personal Service Settings, 2019. This document provides the minimum standards for cleaning, disinfection, sterilization of equipment, maintenance of the premises, personal hygiene and basic infection control practices to reduce the risk of blood borne infections such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C , HIV and other types of infection for both clients and personal services settings workers.
Fact Sheets for Personal Service Settings Operators and Workers
- Accidental Blood and Body Fluid Exposure Recording Form
- Notice of Intention: New Personal Service Settings Operation; Additional Services; Construction
- Personal Protective Equipment: putting on and taking off PPE
- Be Spa Safe Video
- York Region Inspection Reports
- Infection Prevention Resources
- Personal Service Settings: General Operational Requirements
- York Region Public Health’s PSS Pre-Opening Educational Package
Disinfection Posters
Special Events
If you are the organizer of a special event where personal services will be offered, you are required to:
- Complete the Personal Service Settings Organizer Application Form
- Inform your vendors that they need to fill out the Personal Service Settings Vendor Application Form
- Email/fax/drop off the Organizer Application Form 30 days before the event
- Review the Personal Service Settings Special Event Guidelines
If you are a vendor of a special event where personal services will be offered, you are required to:
- Complete the Personal Service Settings Vendors Application Form
- This form is for those who are providing personal services such as tattooing, body piercing, ear piercing, etc.
- Email/fax/drop off the Personal Service Settings Vendor Application Form 20 days before the event
Personal Service Settings Fact Sheets
- Personal Service Settings: General Operational Requirements
- Aesthetic Manicures and Pedicures
- Body Modification
- Body Piercing
- Ear and Nose Piercing with Hand-Held Devices
- Electrolysis
- Facials
- Hair Salons and Barber Shops
- Laser Hair & Tattoo Removal
- Makeup Application
- Micropigmentation and Microblading
- Microneedling
- Tattooing
- Sterilization
- Waxing, Sugaring & Threading