Virginia Law

A. A body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon must be in a permanent building, which must be in a location permissible under local zoning codes, if any. If applicable, the body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon must be separated from any living quarters by complete floor to ceiling partitioning and shall contain no access to living quarters.

B. The body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location must be maintained in a clean and orderly manner.

C. A body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location must have a blood spill clean-up kit in the work area.

D. Work surfaces in a body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location must be cleaned with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered, hospital-grade disinfectant. Surfaces that come in contact with blood or other body fluids shall be immediately disinfected with an EPA-registered germicide solution. Appropriate personal protective equipment shall be worn during cleaning and disinfecting procedures.

E. In a body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location, cabinets or containers for the storage of instruments, single-use articles, and other utensils shall be provided for each operator and must be maintained in a sanitary manner.

F. In a body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location, bulk single-use articles must be commercially packaged and handled in such a way as to protect the articles from contamination.

G. In a body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location, all materials applied to the human skin must be from single-use articles or transferred from bulk containers to single-use containers and must be disposed of after each use.

H. In a body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location, the walls, ceilings, and floors must be kept in good repair. The body-piercing or ear-piercing area must be constructed of smooth, hard surfaces that are nonporous, free of open holes or cracks, light colored, and easily cleaned. New physical facilities must not include any dark-colored surfaces in the body-piercing or ear-piercing area. Existing physical facilities with dark-colored surfaces in the body-piercing or ear-piercing area must replace the dark-colored surfaces with light-colored surfaces whenever the facilities are extensively remodeled or upon relocation of the business.

I. A body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location must have adequate lighting of at least 50 foot-candles of illumination in the body-piercing and sterilization areas.

J. In a body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location, adequate mechanical ventilation must be provided.

K. A body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location must be equipped with hand-cleaning facilities for its personnel with unobstructed access to the body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only area such that the body-piercer, ear-piercer, or ear-piercer earlobe only can return to the area without having to touch anything with his hands. Hand-cleaning facilities must be equipped either with hot and cold or tempered running water under pressure and liquid germicidal soap or with a sanitizing solution to clean hands. Hand-cleaning facilities must be equipped with single-use towels or mechanical hand drying devices and a covered refuse container. Such facilities must be kept clean and in good repair. All facilities must have running water and soap accessible for cleaning of hands contaminated by body fluids.

L. No animals are permitted in the body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location, except for guide or service animals accompanying persons with disabilities or nonmammalian animals in enclosed glass containers such as fish aquariums, which must be outside of the body-piercing or ear-piercing area or sterilization area. No animals are allowed in the body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only area or sterilization area.

M. In a body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location, the use of tobacco products and consumption of alcoholic beverages shall be prohibited in the body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only area or sterilization area.

N. In a body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location, no food or drink will be stored or consumed in the body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only area or sterilization area.

O. In a body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only salon or temporary location, if body-piercing, ear-piercing, or ear-piercing earlobe only is performed where cosmetology services are provided, those services must be performed in an area that is separate and enclosed.

P. All steam sterilizers must be biological spore tested at least monthly.

Q. Biological spore tests must be verified through an independent laboratory.

R. Biological spore test records must be retained for a period of three years and made available upon request.

S. Steam sterilizers must be used only for instruments used by the salon's employees.