§ 158-4. Regulations., Chapter 158. Body Piercing, Part II. General Legislation, Code of Ordinances, North Wildwood

It shall be unlawful to engage in the body piercing business in the City of North Wildwood without first obtaining a license therefor pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

No person, partnership, firm or corporation engaged in the body piercing business, whether as an owner or an employee therein, shall be issued a license to engage in body piercing, nor engage in such activity, unless the premises at which such activity is to be conducted and the equipment to be utilized in conjunction therewith meet the following standards:

(1)

The room in which body piercing is done shall have an area of not less than 100 square feet. The walls, floors and ceiling shall have an impervious, smooth and washable surface.

(2)

A toilet shall be adjacent to the area where body piercing is performed. The lavatory shall be supplied with hot and cold running water, soap and sanitary towels.

(3)

All tables shall be constructed of easily cleanable impervious material and shall be separated from waiting customers or observers by a panel at least four feet high.

(4)

The entire premises and equipment shall be maintained in a clean, sanitary condition and in good repair.

It shall be a violation for anyone to pierce any body part of an individual under 18 years of age without authorization signed by the parent or legal guardian and witnessed by the operator. The operator shall be responsible for maintaining the original consent form and copies of all consent information for a period of at least three years.

If the client is suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any other behavioral modifying substance, the operator must refuse the client.

Each person wishing a body piercing must fill out an application which will include the name, date of birth, address and telephone number of the client as well as the location(s) of the piercing and the name of the operator.

Written guidelines shall be established for the care of the site after piercing and shall be approved by the local health authority. Each client shall receive a written copy of the guidelines for care of body piercing sites.

Hepatitis B. Pre-exposure or proof of immunity is required for all body piercing operators who use needles. Any accidental needle-stick injury shall be reported to the Health Department. If a person cannot obtain the vaccination for medical reasons, he shall submit to the Health Department a letter from his physician certifying that the individual does not have Hepatitis B, and the vaccination is contraindicated.

All body piercing operators shall attend a training program sponsored by the Health Department to assure basic knowledge of sterile technique and universal precautions.

All persons, partnerships, firms and corporations engaged in the body piercing business, whether as an owner or an employee therein, shall utilize the following procedures in conducting the body piercing business:

(1)

The operator shall wash his hands thoroughly with an antiseptic and water before starting a piercing; the hands shall be dried with individual, single-use towels.

(2)

Gloves shall be worn with any procedure that involves contact with a client's blood. Hands shall be thoroughly washed after the procedure has been completed.

(3)

No piercing of the tongue shall be permitted.

(4)

No piercing shall be done on skin surface that has rash, pimples, boils or infections, or manifests any evidence of unhealthy conditions.

(5)

The area to be pierced shall first be thoroughly washed with warm water and an antiseptic liquid soap. A single-use sponge shall be used to scrub the area.

(6)

Immediately after piercing, the patron shall be advised on the care of the site and to consult a physician at the first sign of infection.

(7)

All infections resulting from body piercing which become known to the operator shall be reported to the local Health Department within 24 hours.

(8)

Ear piercing guns may not be used for body piercing but may only be used for piercing ear lobes.

All persons, partnerships, firms and corporations engaged in the body piercing business, whether as an owner or an employee therein, shall utilize the following standards for sanitation of instruments utilized in the body piercing business:

(1)

All clean and ready-to-use needles and instruments shall be kept in a closed glass or metal case or storage cabinet while not in use. Such cabinet shall be maintained in a sanitary manner at all times.

(2)

Only single service sterilized needles shall be used.

(3)

Needles used for body piercing shall be steam sterilized before use on any customer. Any other method of sterilization shall be approved by the local health authority.

(a)

The sterilizer shall be well-maintained with a tight-fitting gasket and a clean interior.

(b)

The manufacturer's operating instructions and sterilization specifications shall be at hand. The operation of the sterilizer shall conform to the manufacturer's specifications with regard to temperature, pressure and time of sterilization cycle.

(c)

Proper functioning of sterilization cycles shall be verified by the weekly use of biological indicator (i.e., spore tests). A log book of these weekly test results shall be available, and a test may be required to be done during any inspections.

(d)

Each item to be sterilized shall be individually wrapped using a chemical indicator or strip to verify steam exposure.

(4)

Forceps, accessory equipment and jewelry must be disinfected with a chemical disinfectant registered by the Environmental Protection Agency as being tuberculocidal when used at recommended dilutions. All operators shall follow manufacturer's instructions when utilizing any chemical disinfectant.

Disposal of wastes.

(1)

Needles shall not be bent or broken prior to disposal. Operators shall take precautions to prevent injuries from contaminated needles.

(2)

Needles shall be disposed of directly into a solid puncture-resistant container.

(3)

Needles, as well as gloves, gauze and other materials saturated with blood, shall be discarded in a plastic bag and placed into a cardboard box prior to the off-site disposal. A written agreement for disposal of such waste shall be required and shall be with an authorized service for disposal of medical waste.