[updated] over 13,000 sign petition urging uk government to provide clear safety guidelines ahead of salons reopening

More than 13,000 hair, barbering and beauty professionals have signed the Professional Beauty Group's petition  asking the UK Government to provide clear safety guidelines so hair and beauty salons can prepare in time for the UK Government's proposed 4 July reopening date for England. The Professional Beauty Group, which includes Hairdressers Journal International, Professional Beauty and Modern Barber needs your help to get this petition to 15,000 signatures. The UK Government has suggested hair and beauty salons may be able to open from Saturday 4 July, however the hair and beauty industry has not received official government guidelines on how to do this safely. As the number of petition signatures for official government guidelines continues to rise, Northern Ireland's ministers have announced that if the community transmission rate remains low, hairdressers and barbers working in Northern Ireland will be permitted to open from 6 July. "This is a positive development for the [Northern Ireland] economy as well as the wider wellbeing of the population," explained Northern Ireland's deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill. She added: "Those businesses should use this time to prepare for safe reopening as well as using this time to implement all necessary protective measures." NHBF's chief executive Hilary Hall told HJ exclusively: "It’s good news that in Northern Ireland salons and barbershops now have a date of 6 July to aim for, although all dates are subject to review depending on how effectively the coronavirus is contained. However, she added: “We’re increasingly frustrated by the long wait for the government to publish its guidelines for salons and barbershops in England to work safely. Many businesses have made preparations already, but they need to be sure that they’ve got everything in place before they reopen.  They also need enough lead-in time to make those final arrangements." She added: "We’ve contacted the governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland calling for dates when salons and barbershops can expect to reopen.  They also need to confirm whether they intend to follow the same guidelines as England or whether they will be producing their own, in which case we’ve offered our support. ” There are unofficial safety guidelines available from hair and beauty industry bodies, industry organisations and brands and many hair and beauty salons are using these guidelines to prepare for reopening.

Petition urging UK Government to provide safety guidance for salon-based, freelance and mobile hairdressers

We have been, and are continually being asked what the guidelines are and when they will be available which is why we are asking the UK Government in our petition to give this clarity to all whether they be salon-based, freelance or mobile hairdressers. HJ is here to serve the hair and beauty industry and wants to ensure all hair and beauty salons feel confident about reopening. Official UK Government guidance will mean you can make an informed decision on when is the best time to reopen your business safely for yourself, your team and your clients. “We want to be a positive voice for you during these difficult times and we hope our revised petition makes it 100% clear that we want the UK Government to offer official guidance to ensure you can make an informed decision on how you will be able to open your business safely,” said Mark Moloney, managing director of the Professional Beauty Group. Please click here to sign HJ and Professional Beauty’s petition to urge the UK Government to offer clear safety guidelines for hair and beauty salons as soon as possible HJ has lots of information and articles on our website to help you during the coronavirus lockdown. Please click here for expert insights, tips and advice for lockdown and beyond.