Personal Appearance Services

Whether accidental or not, personal appearance services that involve skin penetration can spread blood-borne diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C and are therefore considered 'higher risk' activities. These diseases are spread by blood-to-blood contact due to contaminated instruments from an infected person being used on another person without adequate precautions.

The correct construction, maintenance and operation of a higher risk personal appearance service ensures the risk of infection is minimised by the client and the operator. Licensing is an important part of providing safe higher risk personal appearance services.

Council is responsible for licensing higher risk personal appearance services in accordance with the Public Health (Infection Control for Personal Appearance Services) Act 2003, the Infection Control Guidelines and Queensland Development Code Part 5.2 - Higher Risk Personal Appearances Services.

The main purpose of the Public Health (Infection Control for Personal Appearance Services) Act 2003 is to minimise the risk of infection that may result from the provision of personal appearance services. The Act requires a person who personally provides a higher risk personal appearance service to hold an infection control qualification.

The Infection Control Guidelines are provided for personal appearance services to help minimise the risk of infections. The guidelines provide information on how to protect operators and clients and are based on current infection control practice.

The Queensland Development Code Part 5.2 - Higher Risk Personal Appearances Services purpose is to minimise the risk of infection in a place of business where higher risk personal appearance services are provided.

The Act requires Council to monitor the standard of operations in personal appearance services premises. This monitoring is achieved by providing for the licensing of higher risk personal appearance services.