Infection Control Policy

Purpose. This policy sets the infection control standard for every hair, barbering, beauty and skin penetration service delivered at a Luxe site.

1.Purpose and scope

Luxe delivers services that involve close contact, shared equipment and, in the clinic, penetration of the skin. This policy applies to all staff, apprentices, students on placement and contractors at every site. It gives effect to the infection control guidelines for personal care and body art industries issued under public health law and to the Australian Standard for reprocessing reusable instruments in office-based practices.

2.Standard precautions

Staff must treat all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious. Hands must be washed or sanitised before and after every client, after removing gloves and after touching waste. Gloves must be worn for chemical services, waxing, skin penetration and any task with a risk of contact with blood or body fluids. Cuts on staff hands must be covered with a waterproof dressing before work starts.

• Wash hands for at least 20 seconds with liquid soap
• Single-use gloves for every skin penetration or waxing service
• No double dipping of wax spatulas
• Cover own cuts and abrasions before starting

3.Cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation

Every reusable item must be cleaned before it is disinfected or sterilised. Items that penetrate the skin, or that touch broken skin, must be single-use or sterilised in the bench-top steriliser and stored in sealed pouches. Combs, brushes, clips and capes must be cleaned and disinfected between clients. The steriliser cycle log must be completed for every load and retained for two years.

• Clean, then disinfect, then sterilise where required
• Single-use blades, needles, lancets and files never reused
• Pouches dated and initialled after each cycle
• Steriliser validated annually by the service contractor

4.Linen, waste and sharps

Towels and gowns must be laundered on a hot wash after each client and stored in closed cupboards. General waste, contaminated waste and sharps must be separated at the point of use. Sharps must go directly into the yellow sharps container at each station, and containers must be sealed and replaced when three quarters full. Contaminated waste must be collected by the licensed clinical waste contractor.

5.Blood spills and exposure

A blood spill must be contained with paper towel, cleaned with detergent and water, and then disinfected with the approved product while wearing gloves. Any needle stick or exposure to blood must be washed immediately, reported to the floor leader within the hour and recorded in the incident register. The exposed worker will be referred for medical assessment on the same day.

6.Monitoring and review

The Operations and Compliance Manager will audit each site monthly using the infection control checklist and will report results at the team meeting. Council environmental health officers will be given full access on request. This policy will be reviewed annually or after any confirmed transmission event, change in guidelines or council direction.