Tattoo and Piercing Businesses
Public Health is required by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to inspect all personal service settings at least once a year and to conduct a follow-up investigation if there is a complaint.
Ontario Regulation 136/18: Personal Services Settings includes specific requirements for cleaning of tools and equipment, surface finishes, hand wash sinks and record keeping. Services such as ear candling/coning are prohibited as is the use of live animals in treatments such as fish pedicures.
For more information on Ontario Regulation 136/18 and how it affects your business, call Health Protection and Investigation at 519-575-4400.
Inspection results are available online on Check it! We inspect it
Opening/Re-opening Service |
If you are planning to open or re-open a new or renovated site, you are required to notify Public Health by submitting the following form: |
Preventing Infection |
Service providers at a tattoo and/or piercing business can prevent infection if they:
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Tools and Instruments |
Use single-use, pre-packaged, pre-sterilized needles. Open sterile packaging immediately before beginning a procedure in front of the client.
Discard used needles/sharps into a puncture-resistant, leak-proof container with a tight-fitting lid. It must be properly labelled with a biohazard sign. Discard single-use tools and equipment including ink caps, ink, stencils, sterile and pre-packaged needles, gloves after each client. Reusable tools and instruments such as forceps, needle bars, grips and tubes must be cleaned, disinfected and sterilized as required. |
Service Requirements |
During an Inspection |
The inspector will observe and question infection-prevention practices and check the premises and equipment to ensure the health of clients and staff is not being put at risk. The operator will receive a copy of the inspection report once the inspection is complete. The report will indicate corrective action(s) that are required and a date by which the correction is expected. A re-inspection may be conducted to verify recommendations are in place. If a serious problem is identified during an inspection — one that poses an immediate health risk to the client or the provider — the facility may be ordered to close or stop providing a service until the problem is fixed. |
Accidental Exposure |
The tools used in tattoo and piercing business often come into contact with blood and other body fluids. Take the following steps when an accidental exposure occurs:
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Additional Resources |
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