Updates on coronavirus safety guidance for hair salons and barbershops

The updates to the Coronavirus safety guidance, includes rules on PPE and Track & Trace. The new rules, which were updated on Friday 11 September now include goggles, which can be worn as an alternative to a face visor alongside a type II face mask. Additional updates were made to rules on food and drink and the Track & Trace system will be made compulsory for all hair salons and barbershops in England and Wales from 18 September.

Updates on Coronavirus safety guidance and PPE

The Coronavirus safety guidance update means hairdressers and barbers must still wear a type II face mask with no exemptions but they now have the choice of wearing the type II face mask with either a face visor or goggles. The goggles must be in the form of polycarbonate spectacles or equivalent. The guidance explains: "Goggles provide eye protection to the wearer. To be worn in place of a clear visor, goggles should be polycarbonate safety spectacles or equivalent. Reusable eye protection should be cleaned according to the manufacturer’s instructions."

Updates on Coronavirus safety guidance on food and drink

The updates on Coronavirus safety guidance means hot or cold drinks can be served to clients as long as they are provided in disposable cups or bottles. Food is still not allowed to be consumed in a hair salon or barbershop and clients are only allowed to remove their face mask or covering to take sips of their drink.

Coronavirus safety guidance update for Track & Trace

Taking part in the NHS Track & Trace will be mandatory from 18 September so you must ensure you are keeping a record of all your clients for 21 days. Click here for more information about Track & Trace and to create a personal QR code which you can put up in your hair salon or barbershop for your clients to use.  This is the information you will need to collect from staff and clients:

• Names of staff who work at the premises
• Contact phone number for each member of staff
• Dates and times that staff are at work
• Name of the client. If there is more than one person, then you can record the name of the ‘lead member’ of the group and the number of people in the group
• Contact phone number for each client, or for lead member of a group of people
• Date of visit, arrival time and, where possible, departure time
• If a customer will interact with only one member of staff (such as one hairdresser), the name of the assigned hairdresser should be recorded alongside the name of the client.

A summary of the Coronavirus safety guidance and PPE rules to follow in your hair salon or barbershop

1. Complete a COVID-19 Risk Assessment
2. Clean frequently and thoroughly between each client appointment and encourage clients to use hand sanitisers.
3. Ask clients to wear face coverings. Click here for information on those who do not have to wear a face covering. 
4. Make sure everyone is social distancing by putting up signs and making a system that staff and clients can follow.
5. Increase ventilation by keeping doors and windows and open and running ventilation systems.
6. Take part in NHS Track & Trace, which is compulsory in England and Wales from 18 September.
7. Turn people with Coronavirus symptoms away. If a client or member of staff has a persistent cough, high temperature or loss of taste or smell and has not been tested, they should be turned away.

The UK Government's Coronavirus safety guidance also includes some useful tips to keep everyone in your hair or barbershop safe.

• Provide training on how to wear type II face masks, goggles and face visors safely.
• Consider  how many people can  be in the space while remaining socially distant . Rearrange waiting areas so that clients can stay apart. Use floor markings to manage queues.
• Consider using barriers between workstations, introduce back-to-back or side-to-side working, and have staff work in the same team each day.
• Make sure all  staff and customers  are kept up to date with how safety measures are being used and updated.
• Keep music and other background noise to a minimum to prevent people from speaking loudly or shouting.