Personal Services

Personal Service Facilities

Personal service facilities are those which provide, but are not limited to, the following services:

Why are personal service facilities inspected?

Personal Service Facilities are inspected to ensure compliance with The Health Hazard Regulations and the Saskatchewan Personal Service Facility Best Management Practices under The Public Health Act, 1994.  While some of these facilities offer lower risk procedures such as hair styling and waxing, other facilities offer higher risk procedures that are invasive to the body such as tattooing and ear piercing.  These invasive procedures pose a more serious threat to public health as they can transmit viral infections, such as hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); and bacterial infections, such as staphylococcus and streptococcus.

Public Health Inspectors ensure that these facilities have good general sanitation, and have disinfection and infection control procedures in place.  If you have a health and safety concern or a complaint about a personal service facility, please contact your district public health inspector (link to map).

What are the health risks?

The types of health risks vary with the type of personal service procedure being provided and the conditions in which the procedure is being offered.  Body surface treatments, such as massage therapy and haircuts, are lower risk than treatments that break the skin such as tattoos and body piercing. 

Invasive procedures such as tattoos, scarification and piercing have the potential to transmit viral infections, such as hepatitis B and C, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and herpes simplex virus, as well as, bacterial infections such as staphylococcus and streptococcus.

 Be Smart about Body Art (click here for more information)

If you are considering a tattoo or piercing, be sure to choose a safe and reputable studio that has been inspected, has received approval from the local health authority and that follows the Saskatchewan Personal Service Facility Best Management Practices (see resources below).  It is important that good sanitation procedures are in place to prevent infectious diseases.  It is recommended that you avoid getting tattoos or piercings from any person or business that has not received a health inspection or approval to operate from the local health authority.  You may also wish to contact your family doctor to discuss the health risks associated with tattoos and body piercing. 

Starting a business?

To obtain health approval for a personal service facility the following must be submitted:

  • Application (pdf link)
  • Infection control plan (for facilities offering invasive procedures)
  • Floor plan (include all equipment)

If the plans are to public health inspector’s satisfaction he or she will give plan approval in writing and construction may begin. Prior to opening the personal service facility the infection control plan (if applicable) must be approved and a pre-opening inspection must be conducted. If at this time the infection control plan and operations of the personal service facility are to the public health inspector’s satisfaction health approval for operation of the personal service facility can be granted.

Click here to access the “Opening a Personal Facility Fact Sheet” (pdf link)

Resources

All applicable legislation including the Saskatchewan Personal Service Facility Best Management Practices can be found here:

https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/environment-public-health-and-safety/environmental-health/personal-service-facilities

National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health:

http://www.ncceh.ca/topics/personal-service-establishments?f%5B0%5D=field_location_taxonomize_terms%3A2011