Wisconsin Reopening: Checklist for Hair and Nail Salons

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Recommendations for Personal Services Businesses

Employee Health and Hygiene

Employees who have a fever or other symptoms of COVID-19 should be instructed to stay home. Consider a wellness check of employees each day.
Maintain an adequate supply of paper towels, soap, and hand sanitizer to allow proper hand hygiene among employees.
Provide tissues for proper cough/sneeze etiquette and no-touch disposal receptacles.
Employees should take these steps:
Wash hands on arrival at work, after each client, after touching your mask, after using the restroom and when leaving work.
Wear a mask at work at all times.
If a face shield is provided, wear it when working with clients and disinfect it appropriately.
Let your employer know if you have concerns about the PPE that is being provided.
Carry a towel. If you get the urge to sneeze or cough, you should cover your nose, mouth, and mask; attempt to delay the urge to sneeze or cough; and immediately leave the building or get as far away as possible from clients and coworkers. Wash hands and face thoroughly before returning to work.

Clean and disinfect

Maintain an adequate supply of cleaning and disinfection products. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a list of products that meet EPA criteria for use against the COVID-19 virus. Review product labels and safety data sheets and follow manufacturer specifications.
If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
Consider using a checklist or audit system to track how often cleaning is conducted.
Identify staff members who will be responsible for ensuring regular cleaning and disinfection.
Wipe down/disinfect all cutting and other tools (e.g., combs, brushes) between clients and at the beginning and end of each shift. Alternatively, workers should have an ample supply of tools at their disposal (all implements should then be disinfected and washed at the end of the day).
For nail tools should be disinfected between use or be single-use only. Consider allowing returning clients the option of buying their own nail tool kit for repeated use.
Chairs, tools and implements, door handles, tables, countertops, and point-of-purchase credit card payment stations should be disinfected after each client.
Minimize the sharing of work tools and equipment such as phones, keyboards, cash registers, point-of-sale devices. If sharing is necessary, disinfect the equipment before and after each use.
Consider covering chairs in a non-porous material for easy cleanup, or use a disposable cover as is used in dental or medical offices.
Clean HVAC intakes and returns daily
Provide handwashing stations at the front of the business, or if handwashing is not feasible for all clients who enter the shop, provide hand sanitizer. Make hand sanitizer available for clients to disinfect their hands thoroughly upon entering and leaving the salon.
For hair salons during procedures, clients should wear paper neck strips provided by the stylist to help ensure proper hygiene. Use a clean cape for each client. Ideally, have a sufficient number of capes on hand for all clients per day to avoid reuse. Launder all used capes at the end of each day.
Smocks, towels, work clothing, etc., should be placed in plastic bags after each use, treated as potentially contaminated, and laundered by washing and drying on the highest temperature setting allowable for the fabric.
Increase the cleaning frequency of restrooms, and consider design changes: - Doors to multi-stall restrooms should be able to be opened and closed without touching handles if feasible. Consider adding a foot pull to the door if one is not already in place. Place a trash can by the door if the door cannot be opened without touching the handle, so restroom users may use a paper towel to cover the doorknob/handle. - For single-occupancy restrooms, provide signage and materials (paper towels and trash cans) for users so they can avoid touching handles. Consider providing a key so users can be better monitored and disinfection controlled. - If toilet lids are present, post signs indicating lids should be closed before flushing. - Post signs asking clients and employees to wash hands before and after using the restroom. - Provide paper towels and disconnect or tape off hand air dryers.

Physical distancing

Limit the number of clients in the shop at one time. Only clients that are actually getting services should be inside the business. Clients should not check in at a front desk or wait in a reception area.
Consider establishing a process for clients to remain in their cars or otherwise outside of the business until they are notified (either by text or phone call) that their appointment is open and has been properly disinfected from the previous client.
Limit face-to-face interaction during services as much as possible.
Since the six-foot social distance guideline is not practical in nail salons, spas, and massage therapy services to minimize facial contact by wearing a face shield or installing a plastic partition between the employee and client with ample space cut out where hands or feet can be slid underneath to conduct the manicure or pedicure.
Establish prepay systems or self-checkout systems (e.g., portable credit card portals at each chair that are cleaned after each use). Discourage the use of cash.
If a prepay system is not feasible, consider using a plexiglass partition between cashiers and clients.
Clients should use their own pens to sign credit card authorizations. If a pen provided by the salon must be used, it should be disinfected after each use. The same applies for touchpad use.
Establish an isolated area for all delivery companies to drop off materials and supplies (i.e., minimize their presence in the salon).

Face masks and cloth face coverings

Supply face masks or cloth face coverings for all employees.
Instruct your employees on how to properly put on and remove a facemask or cloth face covering. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides guidance on how to properly wear a face covering and offers tutorials for how to make one. If gloves are used, ensure they are changed after each client and that staff wash their hands after each client.
To the extent possible, clients should wear face coverings when receiving services.
Consider making face masks available to clients who do not have one for use at your salon. Considerations should be made for members who are unable or unwilling to wear a mask or cloth face cover.

Engineering controls

Consult an HVAC professional about increasing ventilation rates, the percentage of outdoor air that circulates into the system, maintaining the relative humidity at 40 to 60% and placing restrooms under negative pressure.
Workplaces should review guidance from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers to consider when discussing ventilation changes with HVAC professionals. https://www.ashrae.org/file%20library/about/position%20documents/pd_infectiousaerosols_2020.pdf?_sm_au_=inVrrHZ1tS3JtHv7BLQtvK7BJGKjp
If fans such as pedestal fans or hard-mounted fans are used in the salon, take steps to minimize air from fans blowing directly from one person toward another. If fans are disabled or removed, employers should remain aware of possible heat hazards and take steps to mitigate them.
As ventilation is being evaluated, all nail salons should consider upgrading existing ventilation to include locally exhausted nail tables. Several states already require this special ventilation for control of nail salons’ toxic air pollutants, and this ventilation may also be helpful in improving general air quality.

Client health and safety

Use social media and other communication to educate clients on the steps being taken for their protection and what they need to do to protect staff as well.
Here’s what to ask of clients via communications and when they visit your business: - If you are sick, stay home. If you have a temperature, stay home. If someone in your house is sick, stay home. If you have allergies and can’t control sneezing, stay home. In any of these cases, reschedule your appointment to a later date. - Wear a mask, preferably the style that wraps behind the ears (certain mask styles may interfere with the performance of the haircut or color treatment). - Do not enter the business until your appointment is open and it has been disinfected. - Limit the items you touch in the business to items you select to purchase. - Wash your hands before and after you leave the salon. If handwashing is not possible, use hand sanitizer when you enter and before you leave the building. - As much as possible, maintain a distance of at least six feet from other clients and other employees when walking through the business. - If you get the urge to sneeze or cough, put on your mask (if not already wearing it) and cover your nose, mouth, and mask with a napkin or handkerchief. Wash your hands and face thoroughly before returning to your activity. - Businesses have the right to refuse service to anyone exhibiting symptoms or not following salon guidelines.
A questionnaire or checklist may be used to clear clients to enter the business.
Post signage on the front door letting clients know about changes to your policies and instructing them to stay away if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
Remove all unnecessary touchpoints, especially those that cannot be sanitized. Examples include removing paper visitor logs, discontinuing the use of pens to sign receipts (cashless and contactless transactions are recommended), and using drop boxes for hand delivery items.
Utilize disposable instead of reusable items whenever possible. Provide adequate trash receptacles and increase trash removal frequency to accommodate additional waste.
For nail salons, require all clients to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before you work on their nails.
For hair salons, as an initial step with each client, thoroughly wash and towel-dry their hair before performing any work. For some services (for example, color), this may not be feasible. Consider asking clients to wash their hair prior to arrival for these services.
For body piercing, consider not allowing customers to handle jewelry or have customers wear gloves to handle jewelry. If jewelry is handled by a customer, immediate disinfection of that jewelry should be performed. Hand hygiene should be performed by both the practitioner and the customer after glove removal.

Business operations

Services should be provided by appointment only
No client should remain in a waiting area prior to receiving services.
Common-use areas (such as lounge areas, courtesy food and beverage bars, and child play areas) should be closed if it is not possible to practice proper social distancing and sanitizing. Remove magazines and newspapers from these areas.
The facility must maintain adequate records of its clients, including names, telephone numbers and visit dates, in case contact tracing becomes necessary. The facility must also maintain accurate work records of its staff to assist with contact tracing if necessary
Encourage clients to use touchless payment options when available. Minimize handling cash, credit cards, reward cards and mobile devices.
When exchanging paper and coin money: - Do not touch your face afterward. - Ask clients to place cash on the counter rather than directly into your hand. - Place money on the counter (not in hand) when providing change back to clients. - Wipe counter after each client at checkout.

Employee training, support and communication

Communicate with workers about actions being taken to prevent COVID-19 exposure through routine meetings and emails.
Provide instruction and training to employees, including these topics: - How to handle their work clothing properly at home if the laundry service is not provided. - How to safely put on and remove gloves. Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces according to product specifications. - Correct use and wear of face masks or coverings. - Physical distancing changes. - Employee illness reporting.
Train employees in how to recognize areas and practices that pose a risk for spreading the virus. Define a process to quickly review concerns and provide mitigation strategies. Include a recognizing/reporting module in your COVID-19 response plan.
Consider assigning one or more employees to monitor compliance with workplace guidance.
Post signage to remind your employees of safe practices, such as distancing, hand hygiene and cough/sneeze etiquette.