This document summarizes key health and safety legislation that applies to beauty therapy work. It outlines regulations regarding workplace health and safety, hazardous substances, electrical safety, hygiene for skin piercing procedures, and safety of cosmetic products. Employers must implement safety procedures and training, while employees must follow safety rules and report any issues. The Health and Safety Executive enforces these rules through inspections and can issue requirements or penalties if violations are found.

1. Health and Safety Legislation
NVQ Level 3 Beauty
Therapy
Clare Hargreaves-Norris

2. Clare Hargreaves-Norris
Health and Safety at
Work Act
The Workplace
(Health, Safety and
Welfare) Regulations
1992
Electricity at Work
Regulations Act 1992
Control of Substances
Hazardous to Health
Regulations (COSHH)
2002
Cosmetic Products
(Safety) Regulations
2004
Local Government
(Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act
The Provision and Use
of Work Equipment
Regulations 1998

3. Health and Safety at Work Act
1974
This is the main piece of legislation
under which nearly all other
regulations are made. This piece of
legislation covers all persons
whether employers, employees or
self-employed.
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4. Employers must provide
Access to a
health and
safety policy.
Proper safety
procedures
e.g. first aid
procedures,
fire exits
and
evacuation
procedure.
Safe
equipment
that is
serviced
regularly.
Adequate
training to all
staff in
safety
procedures.
A workplace
that is both
safe and
meets health
requirements.
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5. Employees (you the therapist)
must
Follow health and
safety procedures
that your employer
provides.
Act to protect
yourself and
others, such as
clients and work
colleagues.
Treat all equipment
properly and report
any faults that you
notice to your
manager. You must
not misuse or
interfere with any
equipment.
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6. All salons should display a
health and safety poster
and ensure that staff are
trained in health and
safety procedures. If a
salon employees 5 or more
staff they must have a
written health and safety
policy.
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7. Health and safety executive
Many regulations and legislation cover you
when you are working in a salon. Any person
who is working with others or members of the
public need to work safely and comply with
these rules. The Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) is the body that support and enforce
the health and safety law. Inspectors may
enter and inspect a workplace without
forewarning at any reasonable time if they
have received a complaint or following an
accident.
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8. Health and Safety Inspectors
Visit
From their visit they may:
 Offer informal advice
 Provide advice in the form of a formal letter
 Issue an improvement notice - the employer will be
given a time period to complete the required actions
 Issue a prohibition notice – this will require immediate
action and may result in an item being removed from
the premises until the actions have been completed
 Recommend prosecution
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9. The Health and Safety Executive are a valuable
source of up to date health and safety
information. Their website can be found at
www.hse.gov.uk where they have guidelines on
many things such as how to carry out a risk
assessment, preventing contact dermatitis, and
keeping yourself, people and business safe and
protected.
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10. Employers responsibility under The
Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1992
Ensuring adequate
ventilation
A minimum working
temperature of
16ºC
Making sure that
there is adequate
lighting
Providing drinking
water and cups
Work areas are
suitable and have
enough space to
work
Keeping the
workplace clean,
tidy and in good
repair
Making sure doors
and windows are
suitable
Ensuring floor
surfaces are safe
and even
Removing waste on
a regular basis
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11. Electricity at Work Regulations
Act 1992
 These regulations cover the installation, maintenance and
use of electrical systems and equipment and state that:
 You should always check any equipment before use.
 A qualified electrician should check all pieces of electrical
equipment in the workplace annually.
 Any equipment that is broken or damaged should not be
used. This includes things such as exposed wires, cracked
sockets etc.
 Sockets should never be overloaded.
 You should have a procedure in place for checking hand held
tools to make sure that they are not re-used if faulty.
 You should keep records of the electrical testing.
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12. When using electrical equipment:
 It must comply with British Standard of Safety.
 The equipment must be wired correctly and
checked by a qualified electrician every 12
months - a sticker would indicate this.
 Equipment should be placed on a stable trolley.
 The equipment should be near to the operator to
prevent over stretching of wires.
 No liquids near the electrical equipment.
 Leads should not be dangling.
 Equipment must be cleaned regularly.
 Always check it is working properly before use –
it is your responsibility to check the equipment
every time. Clare Hargreaves-Norris

13. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
Regulations (COSHH) 2002
A hazardous substance includes things such as chemicals,
substances, biological agents and dust.These regulations
explain how hazardous substances should be:
Used Stored Disposed
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14. Complying with COSHH
The employer should carry out a COSHH risk
assessment by firstly obtaining a copy of the Material
Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) sheets off the suppliers.
This will provide all safety information on each product
and will list if any precautions need to be taken such as
wearing gloves when handling a substance. The
employer must ensure that employees are properly
informed, trained and supervised.
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15. Examples of COSHH symbols
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16. Storage of products
Storage instructions must be
followed to ensure that the
products are stored correctly in
order to ensure that maximum
quality is maintained. If products
are stored incorrectly, it causes
them to deteriorate and therefore
making them less effective.
Products can also be dangerous if
they are flammable and stored
incorrectly.
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17. Storage Instructions
Store in an upright position
All lids must be secured, as often the products
are highly volatile
In a dark, cool cupboard, away from direct
sunlight
Dry environment
Chemicals should be stored in a lockable, metal
cupboard/container
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18. The Provision and Use of Work
Equipment Regulations 1998
To comply with these regulations the employer
must prevent or control the risks to your health
and safety from equipment that you use at work.
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19. The equipment must be:
Suitable for use
Used for the use for which it is intended
Maintained in a safe condition
Inspected on a regular basis
Used only by people who have been trained
correctly
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20. Local Government (Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act
This act requires anybody offering a skin piercing
treatment to be registered with the Local Health
Authority. This registration is to include the
premises where the treatment is to be
performed and the operator who is to carry out
the treatment. A health inspector enforces this
law and will check on the following points to
ensure that the treatment is being performed in
a healthy, safe and hygienic manner:
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21. Equipment must be approved by the Environmental Health
Authority.
Sharps must be disposed of correctly.
Equipment must be sanitised before use.
The skin must be sanitised before being treated.
Appropriate methods of sterilisation and sanitisation are being
used.
Correct storage of consumables such as bed rolls, cotton wool,
tissues and antiseptic lotions etc.
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22. Cosmetic Products (Safety)
Regulations 2004
The Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 2004
consolidate the old cosmetic regulations and their
amendments and implement current European
Directives. The main provisions of the regulations are:
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23. Cosmetic Products (Safety)
Regulations 2004
 It is an offence to supply cosmetic products that, when
applied, are liable to cause damage to human health.
 Certain substances are prohibited for use in cosmetics.
 The use of certain substances is restricted, for example,
certain fragrances, colouring agents, preservatives and UV
filters.
 Specific labelling is required, which includes a list of
cosmetic ingredients in descending order of weight using
common names.
 Any precautions for use must be clearly stated.
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24. Cosmetic Products (Safety)
Regulations 2004
 The durability of the product must be clearly stated, any
precautions required to keep the product in a satisfactory
condition need to be stated and the product should carry a
best before date.
 The function of the product must be clearly stated.
 Certain information (composition, specifics, method of
manufacture etc.) must be held by the ‘responsible person’;
usually this is with the manufacturer.
 All of the above information should be in English.
 There will be a total ban on animal testing after March
2013.
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