With preparation for post-lockdown re-opening hitting fever pitch, here's our handy check list of resources to help keep you and your clients safe once you're back at work.

The excitement's mounting and the bookings are rolling in as July 4th approaches and 3 months' worth of home-cut hair and grown-out roots heads to your door to be cut, trimmed, coloured and styled back into shape. But have you done everything you can to keep clients, colleagues and staff virus-safe? Here's our round-up of the top tips and resources and check out our PPE & Protection products for all you need to get set-up.

Disinfection

Keeping your workplace clean and sanitised is the foundation of a virus-safe space and it all starts with effective disinfection. Each staff member should have their own disinfectant wipes or sanitising spray so they can keep their station and equipment clean.

Barbicide are offering a free 1-hour online course in effective disinfection including certification to show your customers that you know what you’re doing.

Disicide have a certification programme too which gives your customers the confidence that your salon is protected by their sanitisation expertise.

PPE

Everyone coming into close contact with others needs PPE. The government guidelines stipulate a face visor for all staff who are unable to maintain social distancing due to the need to work in close proximity to the client. A temporary face covering, such as a lacquer shield, is also important for clients at the backwash as they are facing up towards the shampooist.

Staff should wear disposable gloves and aprons, changed between clients and clients should be given a disposable gown or a fresh gown that's then washed at over 60°C before it's used again. Masks are not mandatory, but could be important to help give customers confidence that they're safe in your salon.

Hand hygiene

Still the most important protocol for keeping everyone virus-safe. Make sure that staff wash hands regularly for 20 seconds and/or have access to alcohol hand gel with at least 65% alcohol content. Clients should be asked to sanitize their hands on entering your shop.

Make social distancing easy

• Stagger appointments to keep congestion in the salon to a minimum.
• Mark out 2 metre spacing on your floor to help everyone keep their distance.
• Put in screens between stations and at reception desks.
• Remove anything from your reception area that clients might share with others such as magazines.
• Only offer self-service drinks in disposable cups (making sure that clients dispose of the cups themselves when they're finished).
• Avoid face-to-face conversations with clients. Talk into the mirror instead.

For more information, check out these resources:

Reopening Guide for Hair & Beauty Salons and Barbershops from the NHBF

Working safely during coronvirus: Close contact services from the UK government