Safe Body Art Act Effective February 2019

The province’s Safe Body Art Act was proclaimed on March 6. The act and its regulations will take effect Feb. 1, 2019.

“The Safe Body Art Act will help ensure safe practices and products are used for services such as tattooing and piercing,” said Environment Minister Iain Rankin. “We appreciate industry members’ support and we will continue to work closely with them as we prepare for the Act and regulations to take effect.”

The Department of Health and Wellness is responsible for the act and regulations. The Department of Environment is responsible for enforcement.

“The Safe Body Art Act and its regulations are an important part of protecting public health and safety,” said Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health. “These regulations can give Nova Scotians more confidence that licensed operators are following appropriate infection control steps to prevent the spread of blood-borne diseases like hepatitis B and C.”

Permits will be required for people who sell body art services in Nova Scotia:

• permanent and mobile facilities will need a Class 1 permit. It costs $195 plus HST and is renewable every 10 years.
• a Class 2 permit is for facilities at temporary events. It costs $30 plus HST, can be issued for one to 14 days, and is not renewable.

Operators will need to meet standards for infection prevention and records management. The rules are detailed in the regulations and standards.

“Many of us in the body art industry are doing everything we can to protect our clients’ safety,” said Julie Taylor, owner of Skin Decision tattoo and piercing studios in Halifax and Truro. “Having the Safe Body Art Act and regulations in place will help ensure that everyone in our industry is meeting standards for safety.”

NOTE: 

The Safe Body Art Act takes effect February 1.

Information sessions are being held to help you learn more about what the Act and regulations mean for your body art business.

Industry members are welcome to join a conference call to ask questions. Please register to get the conference call phone number and ID by contacting:

bodyart@novascotia.ca

For more information about the Safe Body Art Act and regulations, visit https://novascotia.ca/nse/environmental-health/body-art.asp .

The Department of Environment’s public health officers will process applications for permits and inspect body art facilities. They will also work with industry members to ensure they are in compliance when the act and regulations take effect. For more information, visit http://www.novascotia.ca/nse/environmental-health/body-art.asp .

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Source : Media Release