Structural and sanitary requirements

To enable the Environmental Health Officer to process your building consent efficiently the layout plan of your proposed premises should show the following:

• All rooms and a description of use, e.g. cutting area, storage area, staff area.
• The position of the service appliances and fittings, such as cutting chairs, benches, shelving, cupboards, sinks, hand-wash basins, washing and drying machines, refuse storage area, toilets, staff facilities and means of ventilation.
• Specifications should cover proposed construction materials and finishes.

The information contained in the plans and specifications should be sufficient to enable the Environmental Health Officer to check that the proposed premise complies with the appropriate regulations.

• The floor of the service area where hair is cut or cleaned, and any area of wall or ceiling that is likely to become wet, must be surfaced with a smooth, durable and impervious material.
• All other walls and ceilings must have non-absorbent surfaces that are capable of being easily cleaned.

• Lighting of not less than 300 lux must be provided at all working surfaces adjacent to every place where customers are attended to and where instruments and tools are cleaned.
• In every part of the shop, the overall light intensity must be not less than 100 lux at a point 800mm above the floor.
• All lighting must be reasonably free from glare and distributed to avoid shadows.

• Ventilation must be adequate to prevent condensation and excess moisture forming as well as remove odour and fumes.
• In the absence of fully effective natural ventilation, adequate mechanical ventilation must be provided.
• Clothes dryers must be vented to the outside.

• The floor space should allow for easy access for cleaning.
• In every room where customers are attended to, there must be a floor area of at least 2.3m² for each customer who can be attended to at the same time as any other customer.
• Service chairs used for haircutting must be at least 1.5m apart, measured from centre to centre.
• Where customers awaiting attention are admitted to the service area, an additional 0.9m² for each such person must be provided for their exclusive use. Where separate waiting or reception rooms are provided, they must have a floor area of not less than 0.9m² for every person for whom seating is available, but with a minimum of 4.6m².

• At least one hand-wash basin must be provided for every 10 chairs used for hair cutting, with at least one basin being within 6m of each cutting chair.
• Every hand-wash basin must be supplied with hot and cold water, soap, a nail-brush and clean towels or other approved methods of hand drying.
• Where hair is cleaned, sufficient shampoo basins supplied with hot and cold water must be provided and used exclusively for cleaning hair.
• A sufficient number of sinks with hot and cold water or other suitable appliances must be provided for the cleaning of all hairdressing tools and equipment. No such sink can be installed in any staff meal room.

Separate washing facilities are required to allow staff to:

• wash their hands
• clean customers’ hair
• clean hairdressing equipment
• wash cups and utensils
• launder towels, etc.

• Only materials or equipment being used or available for use in hairdressing shall be stored in any service area.
• Every shelf, bench or table where hairdressing tools are to be placed must be finished with a smooth, durable and impervious material.
• Every shop must be kept in good repair, clean and free from rubbish, foul odours, vermin and insects.
• No service area shall be in direct communication with any room or place where food is prepared or unwrapped food is stored or held for sale.