by Linda Straker
- Public consultation for Code of Practice for Tattoo Parlours and Body Piercing Facilities
- The code will be become national standard
- Persons offering tattoo and body piercing services to be registered and licenced
The Grenada Bureau of Standards is providing an opportunity for both direct and indirect stakeholders to contribute to the final version of the Code of Practice for Tattoo Parlours and Body Piercing Facilities in the form of a public consultation scheduled for Thursday, 7 March 2019.
The code which will be become a national standard after going through the necessary established procedure sets the “Minimum requirement for the operations of tattoo parlours and body piercing facility.”
The document which is presently available at the bureau’s office for public comments provides for the general requirements as well as operations and hygienic requirements for those offering the service and the places where the service can be offered.
Sections include hygienic and precaution measure that should be taken to minimise the risk of injury and the spread of infections as well as the best practices for the provision of tattoo related and body piercing services.
In general the code, once it receives the approval from the council will also apply to all persons involves the practice of puncturing the skin or flesh of the human body for the purpose of permanent tattoo and semi-permanent skin colouring; persons who engages in the inserting of metal jewellery for cosmetic purposes and persons who provides services in the area of piercing of earlobes with spring guns or needles.
Guidelines in the code cover areas such as skin preparation, personal protection equipment, handling and disposal of sharps and single-use items as well as ethics in the profession.
Under the general requirement, all persons offering the tattoo and body piercing services will have to be registered by the Ministry of Health and pay the relevant licensing fees to the Ministry of Finance.
The public comment period for the code began on 1 February and will conclude on 1 April 2019.
“This consultation is an opportunity for direct and indirect stakeholders to have they voice be heard as part of the process for writing up the final document,” said an official of the bureau.
Besides the Code of Practice for Tattoo Parlours and Body Piercing Facilities, the bureau is also seeking comments for: Specification for Pneumatic Passenger Tyres; Specification for Hollow Concrete Blocks and Specification for Packaged Water.
The bureau according to the standards legislation shall promote and encourage the maintenance of standards in relation to goods, services, processes and practices. Among its functions are to prepare and promote the general adoption and implementation of standards relating to goods, materials, practices, structures, processes, and other matters, on a national, regional and international level and promote research in relation to specifications, establish or designate laboratories and testing facilities, and provide for the examination and testing of goods, services, processes and practices.
