Beauty Premises Registration under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act
Personal care and body art businesses, including hairdressing, beauty therapy, tattooing, and skin penetration services, must uphold professional, competent, safe, and hygienic practices in clean and well-maintained premises. Unsafe or unhygienic practices can lead to the transmission of infectious diseases, posing risks to both clients and operators.
Legal Responsibilities
Businesses registered under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic) are legally required to comply with:
These guidelines, developed by the Department of Health, assist businesses in designing and operating premises that meet infection control standards. They are available at: Victorian Department of Health: Infection Control Guidelines.
Structural and Operational Requirements
Equipment, Furniture & Fittings
- Must be made of materials suitable for the procedures performed
- Surfaces requiring regular cleaning/disinfection must be constructed from durable, sealed, and non-porous materials that can be effectively cleaned and disinfected
- Adequate bench space is essential for safe working practices
Floors, Walls & Ceilings
- Constructed of smooth, durable, impervious materials
- Free from cracks or open joints
- Must be easy to clean and disinfect
- Designed to prevent pest harbourage
Lighting & Ventilation
- Sufficient natural or artificial lighting for all procedures
- Adequate ventilation throughout the premises, to reduce the risk and exposure to hazardous chemicals
Hand-Washing Facilities
- Clearly designated for handwashing only
- Located in treatment areas, cleaning zones, and near toilets
- Must include:
- Warm running water via a single tap
- Liquid soap and single-use paper towels
- Hands-free operation (for high-risk procedures)
- Splashback made of impervious, washable material
Equipment Cleaning & Sterilisation Area
- Dedicated space or room with workflow that follows the sequence of used/dirty → cleaning → disinfection/sterilisation
- Two sinks: one for washing, one for rinsing
- Sufficient space for good working practices e.g. space of either side of sink for dirty or clean equipment and any other device used in the disinfection and sterilisation process
- Each sink has both hot and cold water supplied through a single outlet
- Separate handwashing facility in addition to equipment cleaning sinks
- Splashback constructed from smooth impervious and washable material behind sinks
- UV cabinets are not approved for sterilisation
Storage Facilities
- All clean linen stored off the floor in clean environments
- A washable and leak-proof containers for soiled linen, towels and protective clothing
- All clean implements and instruments must be stored in a clean and dry environment such as a container or drawer
- Separate labelled containers for instruments/implements requiring cleaning and sterilising
Waste Management
- General waste: bin with tight-fitting lid and plastic liner labelled “General Waste”
- Clinical waste: bin with tight fitting lid and yellow biohazard bag liner, disposed of per Environment Protection Authority (EPA) requirements
- Liquid waste: disposed via sewer (preferably through a cleaner’s sink)
- Sharps containers must be provided in all procedure areas where sharps are generated and must be easily accessible to enable immediate disposal in AS 23907:2023 compliant containers
Toilet Facilities
- Adequate toilets for staff
- A handwash basin with warm water, soap and paper towels in immediate area of the toilet
Victorian Government Infection prevention and control guidelines for hair, beauty, tattooing and skin penetration industries