Body Piercing Records - Environmental Health - Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health

Environmental Health

Record Keeping Needs of Body Piercing Establishments

Release Forms:

Each establishment will need to develop its own release forms. Basically, the release form needs to ask if the customer has any of the following health conditions:

diabetes
a history of hemophilia (bleeding)
a history of skin diseases, skin lesions or skin sensitivities to soaps or disinfectants
a history of allergies to metals
a history of epilepsy, seizures, fainting or narcolepsy
if they are taking any medications, such as anticoagulants, which thin the blood and interferes with blood clotting.

A. Client Records:

A record must be kept on all customers for at least a three (3) period. The record needs to include the client’s name, date of birth, address of the client, date of the procedure, and the location of the body where the piercing was performed. In addition, if the client is a minor, proof of parental or guardian presence and consent, including their signature, must be kept. As with the Release Form, the design of the client record is decided by the establishment. Any form of record is acceptable as long as the required information is available for review by the regulatory agency.

B. Sterilizer Monitoring Results

Once a month a spore test must be conducted on the sterilizer in order to ensure that it is working properly. The results of the testing must be kept on record at the establishment for at least three (3) years. If a positive spore test result is received, the sterilizer cannot be used until a negative test result is obtained. This may mean that operations will need to cease until the situation is corrected.

C. Aftercare Instructions

Each establishment will be responsible for providing aftercare instructions for the customers. The department must approve the instructions before they go into use. The instructions must be signed and dated by both the establishment and the customer with both parties retaining a copy. Once again, this record must be retained for a minimum of three (3) years.