Licence - acupuncturist
Summary
The
Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 requires that all persons that carry out acupuncture be registered with
the local authority. Officers will visit the premises to ensure they comply with the requirements of both the Act and any
local Byelaws.
How to apply for a acupuncturist licence
- Once an application has been made and the fee of £100 paid an inspector from Blaby District Council will undertake an inspection of the premises.
- If the inspector considers the applicant's procedures and the premises to be suitable, then registration will be approved.
Printable forms
Further information
The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 Part VIII requires the following types of skin piercing need be registered with the Council.
- Acupuncture
- Ear-piercing
- Electrolysis
- Tattooing
The Act requires registration to cover both the person carrying on the practice and the premises used for that purpose. There are no powers to refuse registration, but the practice is controlled through compliance with byelaws in each case.
The applicant must ensure that the procedures, equipment and facilities used are safe, hygienic, prevent the spread of disease and comply fully with the general duty of care required by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
It is illegal to conduct ear piercing, tattooing, acupuncture or electrolysis unless the registration has been formally approved.
The Inspector will also check compliance with the following bye-law requirements as well as ensuring that general health and safety requirements are being met. The inspector will be pleased to offer any advice or give any help if you are unsure as to how to meet these obligations.
The following have to be met to be eligible:
Premises
- All surfaces in any part of the premises used by clients must be kept clean and in good repair.
- All furniture and fittings in the treatment area must be kept clean and in good repair.
- Tables, couches, seats etc used in the treatment area must have a smooth, impervious surface which is regularly wiped down with disinfectant and covered by a disposable paper sheet, changed after each client.
- A 'No Smoking' sign must be prominently displayed.
Cleanliness of operatives
- Any overall worn by the operative should be clean and in good repair.
- The operative's hands and nails must be kept clean.
- Any open cut, wound, sore or boil must be suitably covered by an impermeable dressing.
- The operative should not smoke nor drink in the treatment area.
- The operative should have sole use of the washing facilities which must provide hot and cold running water, soap (or a similar cleanser) and a nail brush.
Equipment
- Any needle, metal instrument or other item of equipment used in the treatment must be in a sterile condition and kept sterile until it is used.
- If pre-sterilised items are not used then adequate facilities must be provided for the purpose of sterilisation.
- If tattooing is being undertaken, then all dyes used must be bacteriologically clean and inert. The containers used to hold dyes for each customer must be disposed of at the end of each treatment or sterilised before re-use.
General
Licence holders must adhere to the following:
- It is an offence to tattoo any person under the age of 18 years (the Tattooing of Minors Act 1969) regardless of parental consent.
- A person under the age of 18 years may receive body piercing provided that a written permission from is produced, or the treatment is performed in the presence of, the person's parent or guardian.
- Nipple and genital piercing is prohibited on minors, regardless of parental consent.
- The health of the client and the suitability of the treatment should be discussed prior to its administration.
- It is advisable to keep written records of the name and address of every client and also the date of the piercing. Accurate dates will be valuable if there is any question of an infection problem and can often help to protect the practitioner.
Records should be retained for a minimum of one year.
Related pages on this website
Contact us
| Officer / Team | Commercial Environmental Health Team |
|---|---|
| Postal address | Blaby District Council Council Offices Desford Road Narborough Leicester LE19 2EP |
| E-mail address | environmental.health@blaby.gov.uk |
| Telephone | 0116 272 7555 |
| Fax | 0116 272 7594 |
If you need this information in other languages or formats (large print, Braille or audio), please let us know when you contact us.
This page was last updated on 11th November 2009
How do you rate this information / service?