Larimer County Personal Services Requirements and Guidance
(updated 5/25/2020 — subject to change per State orders)
What are “personal services?”
Businesses that provide personal services including, but not limited to:
- Hair salons and barbershops
- Nail salons
- Tattoo and piercing shops
As of May 25th, 2020, Larimer County was granted the following variance to Personal Services. Those are now reflected in the guidance.
- Capacity for the establishment will be limited to thirty percent (30%) of the maximum occupancy allowed, so long as 6-foot distancing requirements can be maintained between client/employee pairs. A facility wishing to increase capacity must submit a request form the Larimer County Department of Health.
- Use of physical dividers, separate entrances and exits, or other methods that can partition spaces without causing an increased risk for emergency exiting must be used to separate individual workstations.
- Clients must be instructed to wear face coverings when entering the establishment and at all times except when a face-covering inhibits the ability to provide the service.
- Cleaning supplies for high contact surfaces provided at each workstation.
- Employees must be available to monitor the number of people in the facility, screen clients upon entry for COVID-19 symptoms, and to clean and disinfect all equipment between clients. Client appointment logs must be maintained to assist in contact tracing if necessary.
- Employees who are symptomatic must be excluded from the workplace and required to isolate for 10 days. They should be encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 either through a local provider or Larimer County’s community-wide testing.
Business owners and managers that provide personal services should use the OSHA “Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19” as a guide for reopening. In addition, please see the Larimer County Checklist for Reopening for businesses.
If any business that provides personal services is found in violation of these requirements and guidelines upon inspection by the Larimer County Health Department, they may be closed immediately by public health officials.
Screening Employees
Temperature checks – Personal service providers should use a touchless infrared thermometer to check the temperature of each incoming employee each day and of each client who enters the salon/shop.
- Any employee or client who has a temperature above 100.4°F should be sent home immediately and not allowed to return to the salon/shop until they have no fever and no COVID-19 symptoms.
Ask each client and employee entering the shop the following questions:
- Have you had a cough?
- Have you had a fever?
- Have you been around anyone exhibiting these symptoms within the past 14 days?
- Are you living with anyone who is sick or quarantined?
If the answer is yes to any of those questions they should not be allowed in the building.
Social/Physical Distancing Requirements
Limit people in the shop/salon – Only 10 people in the facility at any time, including employees and clients/customers. To request approval to increase capacity, submit this form.
- Personal service providers should see clients by appointments only. Personal service providers should consider telephonic or online scheduling. Limit the number of persons waiting in the facility. It is recommended that clients wait outside the building in their vehicle until the provider is ready to serve them. It is recommended that persons not being serviced wait outside the facility. No more than 10 people including employees can be in the facility at any given time.
- Maintain social distancing at all times. Spacing between persons in the facility should be at least six feet, except when staff are servicing clients in a one on one setting. Personal service providers should consider additional spacing between booths, tables, chairs, divider shields, and/or alternate work schedules to accomplish this.
Personal Protective Gear (PPE)
- Face coverings – Employees will be required to wear face coverings at all times. Salons may want to consider providing face coverings to clients. Post signage on entrances to inform customers/clients that face coverings are required.
- Clients must be instructed to wear face coverings when entering the establishment and at all times except when a face covering inhibits the ability to provide the service.
- Face Shields – If available, it is recommended that employees wear face shields when servicing clients.
- Hand-washing with soapy, warm water, for a minimum of 20 seconds will be required by employees between every client service.
- Gloves – It is recommended that employees wear disposable gloves when servicing clients and change gloves between each client.
For hair salons specifically:
- Capes – Each client should be draped with a clean cape. Capes should be laundered following the fabric recommendations between each client, or salons/shops may consider using disposable capes and dispose of the cape after it is used.
- Smocks –Employees should wear a clean smock between each client when feasible. Smocks should be laundered following the fabric recommendations between each client, or salons may consider using disposable smocks and dispose of the smock after use on a client.
- Neck strips – Employees should use protective neck strips around the neck of each hair-cut client.
- PPG, such as gloves, gowns, drapes, and linens should be changed between each client. These used items should be cleaned and disinfected or discarded in a closed container.
Disinfection
All facilities should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to reopening. Disinfect all surfaces, tools, and linens, even if they were cleaned before the salon/shop was closed.
- Clean and disinfect all shared equipment and tools between every individual served.
- Use disinfectants that are EPA –registered and labeled as bactericidal, virucidal and fungicidal. No product will be labeled for COVID-19 yet, but many will have human coronavirus efficacy either on the label or available on their website. The EPA has approved any product that has tested as effective against human coronavirus. If in doubt of the effectiveness, check the EPA website.
- Disinfectant for immersion of tools, must be mixed daily and replaced sooner if it becomes contaminated throughout the work day. Disinfectant only works on a clean surface so clean all surfaces and tools with hot soapy water, Ship-shape or cleaning wipes (if using wipes, be sure to cover the surface thoroughly) before disinfecting.
- Contact time on label must be observed for disinfectant to work. Contact time refers to how long the disinfectant is visibly wet on the surface allowing it to thoroughly destroy all of the pathogens. Typical contact time for immersion/sprays is 10 minutes, for disinfectant wipes is 2-4 minutes.
- Disinfectants used for immersion must be changed daily or sooner if it becomes contaminated (ex: hair/debris floating in solution or cloudy solution.)
- Disinfection is for hard non-porous surfaces, glass metal and plastic.
- Porous/soft surfaces can not be disinfected and must only be used once and then discarded (tools such as cardboard files, buffers, drill bits etc.)
- Launder all linens, towels drapes, and smocks in hot soapy water and dry completely at the warmest temperature allowed and store in an airtight cabinet. Store all used/dirty linens in an airtight container.
Reception Area
- Remove all unnecessary items such as magazines, newspapers, service menus, any other unnecessary paper products and decor. Wipe down all seats and tables; cloth chairs cannot be properly cleaned and disinfected, using a plastic cover should be considered.
- Wipe reception desk with disinfectant. Consider discontinuing use of paper appointment books or cards, and replace with electronic options.
- Employees should frequently wash their hands after using the phones, computer, cash register and/or credit card machine. Wipe these surfaces between each use.
- Avoiding the exchange of cash can help greatly in preventing spread of virus, but if this is unavoidable, be sure to wash and sanitize hands well after each transaction. The use of credit/debit transactions is preferred, using touch/swipe/no signature technology.
- Clean and disinfect all retail areas, daily, including products. Try to avoid clients touching products that they don’t plan to purchase.
- Clean and wipe all door handles and other surfaces that are regularly touched by clients and staff with disinfectant wipes.
- Provide hand sanitizer for employees and clients.
Consider floor stickers and signage that provide guidance for social distance
- Placement of visible and appropriate signage to communicate to the customer that thorough sanitation procedures are in place.
- Consider placement of sneeze shields.
Restrooms
Clean and disinfect ALL restroom surfaces including floors, sinks and toilet bowls. Store paper products in a closed cabinet and provide antibacterial hand soap.
Shampoo Bowls
- Clean and disinfect all bowls, hoses, spray nozzles, foist handles, shampoo chairs and arm rests. Wipe down all back-bar products and shelves. Discard and replace any products that have not been stored in a closed container.
- If available, wrap shampoo bowls in plastic and discarded between each client.
- Consider asking clients to wash their own hair before entering the salon/shop.
- Limit as much as possible face-to-face contact with clients, and consider using face-shields by those employees providing shampoo services.
Work stations
- Clean and disinfect all work area surfaces. Clean and disinfect chairs, head rest, arm rests (the use of harsh disinfectants can damage leather chairs, and cloth chairs cannot be disinfected, so please use a plastic covering). Clean and disinfect all reusable tools and store in an airtight closed container. Clean and disinfect all appliances, sheers, clippers, clipper guards, clippies, rollers, combs, brushes, rolling carts and any other items used in connection with servicing clients.
- Check to make sure all products such as lotions, creams, waxes and scrubs have always been in a closed container, if not you must discard and replace.
- Remove and discard all single use tools such as paper files, drill bits and buffers, that have already been used.
- Clean and disinfect all linen hampers and trash containers and only use such containers that can be closed and used with liners that can be removed and discarded.
- Provide hand sanitizer at all work locations for employees and clients.
Pedicure Bowls
- Remove all parts that can be removed.
- Clean all removed parts with soap and water, rinse in clear water and then immerse into properly diluted disinfectant for full recommended contact time.
- Scrub bowl with soap and water and replace removed parts to bowl.
- Rinse bowl with clean water.
- Fill bowl again with clean water and proper amount of disinfectant and let stand for proper time (at least 10 minutes).
- If your bowl has jets, allow the jets run for a full 10 minutes with disinfectant.
Treatment rooms
- Clean and disinfect all surfaces such as, chairs, tables, electrical appliances (don’t forget the cords).
- Clean and disinfect all linens and store in a closed container/cabinet.
- Clean and disinfect all hampers that hold soiled linens and be sure to use one that can be lined and closed.
- Remove and discard any products that could have been contaminated by improper unsanitary use. Replace with a new product.
- Empty all wax pots and disinfect before refilling them with new wax. Purchase new single use applicators that can be deposed of in an airtight trash bin. The airtight trash bin should have a lid and should be lined with a disposable plastic bag.
Administrative Controls
- Employees who are sick cannot be in the facility.
- Salon/shop owners/managers should provide training, educational materials, and reinforcement on proper sanitation, hand-washing, cough and sneeze etiquette, and other protective behaviors.
- Ensure break-rooms are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized and not used for congregating by employees.
- Ensure that all sinks in the workplace have antibacterial soap available and paper towels.
- Post handwashing signs in the restrooms.
- Be flexible with work schedules/salon hours to reduce the numbers of people (employees and clients) in salons/shops at all times in order to maintain social distancing.
