Infection prevention and control precautions must be followed to protect both personal service workers and clients. You do not have to see blood or bodily fluids on the instruments for an infection to occur.
The following information is in addition to the general operating requirements for personal services settings as written in Ontario Regulation 136/18 Personal Service Settings.
Before the service
- Examine client’s nail/skin for infections and discoloration.
- Do not provide service to a client who has signs of a nail fungus or infection. Advise the client to consult with a health professional.
- Gather all tools, instruments and lotions that may be required.
- Service worker and the clients should thoroughly wash and dry their hands prior to nail treatment.
Glove use and hand hygiene
- Wash hands before and after each client, before and after wearing gloves.
- If gloves are required they must be changed between clients and procedures.
- Single-use gloves should be removed and discarded immediately after completing the procedure before touching clean surfaces.
Instrument/equipment maintenance
- Razor blades must be pre-packaged and single-use.
- Discard razor blades immediately after use in an approved sharps container.
- Instruments/tools that cannot be properly cleaned and disinfected between clients (e.g. foam or sponge core buffer blocks and files, emery boards, hindostone, orange sticks, pumice stones, wooden cuticle pushers, sand bands, foam toe separators and slippers) must be single-use and discarded after each use.
- After each client, multi-use instruments/tools (e.g. glass/diamond nail files, cuticle nippers, nail clippers, foot paddles, pedi/credo blade holders) must be cleaned with soap and warm water using a scrub brush then disinfected using an intermediate or high level disinfectant for a minimum of 10 minutes.
- Glass bead sterilizers are not permissible.
- “UV light sterilizers” are not approved for sterilization or disinfection. This unit may only be used to store cleaned and disinfected instruments.
Foot Spa cleaning and disinfection:
After each Client and following the manufacturer’s instructions:
- Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions
- Drain the foot spa completely.
- Wash the basin with warm water and detergent and use a brush to remove any visible debris. Rinse with clean water and drain.
- Fill the foot spa above the jets with warm water. Add 3 tablespoons of 5% bleach per gallon of water. Turn on the jets and circulate for 10 minutes.
- Drain the water and wipe dry.
At the End of Each Day
- Remove screen, drain plug, and any other removable parts from the foot spa. Clean the screen and drain plug with detergent and a brush.
- Soak parts in 1 teaspoon of 5% bleach for each cup of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Put all the parts back into the unit.
- Fill tub above the jets and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of low sudsing detergent and circulate for 5 minutes. Drain.
- Refill tub above the jets with warm water and add 6 tablespoons of 5% bleach per gallon of water and circulate for 10 minutes.
- Drain, rinse, and wipe dry with a clean towel.
If a foot spa without a recirculation unit is used, a single-use disposable foot spa liner can be provided for each client. However, foot spa must be cleaned and disinfected between clients and at the end of the day according to the following directions:
- Empty the basin and discard any visible debris.
- Clean tub with a scrub brush, warm water, and detergent.
- Empty, rinse, and spray with low-level and intermediate disinfectant and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Drain, rinse and wipe down with a clean towel.
Record Keeping
Operators must document the type, concentration, and the date of preparation of disinfection products used for disinfecting re-usable equipment and/or instruments.
Operators must document any accidental exposure to blood or body fluids.
Records must be kept for at least 2 years.
Record keeping forms can be found here.
Animals
Every operator of a personal service setting should ensure that personal service setting should be kept free from animals including birds, aquatic species, and reptiles.
For more information, please contact the Environmental Health Department at 519-258-2146 ext. 4475 to speak with a Public Health Inspector.