A. Both sterilized and clean instruments and supplies shall be stored in clean, dry, covered containers.
B. All instruments used in body art procedures shall remain stored in sterile packages until just prior to use. Sterile instruments and equipment shall not be used if the package has been breached or the expiration date has expired, without first repackaging and resterilizing.
C. All products used to check the flow of blood or to absorb blood shall be single use and disposable.
D. All products applied to the skin, including body art stencils, shall be single use and disposable; except, that acetate stencils shall be allowed for reuse if sanitization procedures are performed between uses upon approval of the department. Petroleum jellies, soaps and other products used in the application of stencils shall be dispensed and applied on the area to be tattooed with sterile gauze or in a manner to prevent contamination of the original container and its contents. The gauze shall be used only once and then discarded.
E. All inks, dyes, pigments, needles, and instruments used shall be specifically manufactured for performing body art procedures, and shall be used according to manufacturer's instructions. The mixing of approved inks, dyes, or pigments, or their dilution, with potable water is acceptable. Immediately before applying a tattoo, the quantity of the dye to be used shall be transferred from the dye bottle and placed into single use paper or plastic cups or caps. Upon completion of the tattoo, these single cups or caps and their contents shall be discarded.
F. Jewelry used in body art procedures shall be made only of the following materials: surgical implant grade stainless steel; solid fourteen karat (14k) or eighteen karat (18k) white or yellow gold; niobium; titanium; platinum; or a dense, low porosity plastic. All jewelry shall be free of nicks, scratches, or irregular surfaces, and shall be properly sterilized prior to use.
G. When assembling instruments used for performing body art procedures, the technician shall wear disposable medical gloves and shall use medically recognized techniques to ensure that the instruments and gloves are not contaminated.
H. Single use items shall be discarded immediately after each use and shall not be used on more than one (1) client for any reason. (Ord. 99-060, 10-12-1999)
I. All nonequipment type items shall be disposable.
J. Every body art establishment shall have a department approved sterilizer, unless only sterile supplies and single use disposable instruments and products are used. Sterilizers shall be located away from procedure areas and areas frequented by the public. Department approved sterilizers shall be those units as approved by policy established by the Health Department. (Ord. 03-018, 11-13-2003)
K. The following process shall be followed after each use for all nonsingle use, nondisposable instruments used for body art:
1. The instrument shall be cleaned by scrubbing with an appropriate soap or disinfectant solution and hot water or by following the manufacturer's cleaning instructions to remove blood and tissue residue.
2. The instrument shall be placed in an ultrasonic unit, which shall be operated in accordance with manufacturer's instructions.
3. The instrument shall be packed individually in a peel pack containing either a sterilizer indicator or internal temperature indicator, and sterilized.
4. Peel packs shall be dated with an expiration date not to exceed six (6) months.
L. Sterilizers shall be used, cleaned, and maintained according to manufacturer's instructions. The sterilizer shall be an approved autoclave and be approved by the American Association of Medical Instrumentation. The autoclave shall be operated in accordance with operating standards promulgated by AAMI. A copy of the manufacturer's recommended procedures for the operation of the sterilization unit shall be available for inspection by the department. (Ord. 99-060, 10-12-1999)
M. Each body art establishment shall demonstrate by monthly spore destruction tests that the sterilizer used is capable of attaining sterilization. The tests shall be verified through an independent laboratory. Test records shall be retained for a period of five (5) years and shall be made available to the department upon request. The establishment permit shall not be issued or renewed until documentation of the sterilizer's ability to destroy spores is received by the department. (Ord. 2016-008, 10-11-2016)