To think that having a tattoo done in your home by an unqualified, unregulated and uninsured person is pretty dumb?

[McPheetStink]

Yes or No?

Any idiot can buy the equipment it seems

So it is illegal to not be licensed by the council?

It would suffice to say that having a tattoo done is pretty dumb.

Just checked on gov.uk and you and your premises do have to be fully licensed with your local council.

hmmmm interesting.....

In greater london you will need a special treatment licence. Everywhere else you will need to register with the council.
You may be able to tattoo in a purpose built/fitted out studio at your home. But absolutely no way as a travelling treatment.

I remember watching a documentary where tattoo artists were saying they wanted a nationally recognised apprenticeship system because training is currently very variable.

Sorry to clarify, in London the licence is required under Schedule II of the London Local Authorities Act 1991.
Everywhere else registration is required under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.

Thanks for clarifying that.

Most of the measures that we require in a tattoo studio are to prevent transmission of blood borne diseases. So a random coming to a home to tattoo you should be able to demonstrate how they are going to stop HIV or Hepatitis passing between you, for example, and then how they could prevent transmission of such disease on to future tattoo clients, artists and users of the room.
COSHH info

Which of course they can't, that's the point!

Are you a tattoo artist Pseudo?

No an environmental health officer, and the role I work in at the moment involves looking at new premises that wish to have a special treatment licence.

PMd you.

I worked with a woman who had a really crap tattoo on her wrist done by her stepson who bought the tattoo gun etc off ebay. I was quite taken aback anyone would let someone "practise" on them particularly someone who clealy had zero artistic talent and may well have been slightly pissed....

I think the key thing to remember is let alone what the tattoo might look like, how do you know you're not being infected with a very very nasty disease? In my authority we expect tattooists to have an autoclave on the premises for any reusable equipment. In other authorities they are expected to have an arrangement with a premises that can provide medical grade sterilisation. Would you let some guy remove a mole I by our bathroom and stitch it up?

*a mole in

There are domicilary medical services though - chiropody, dentistry etc for the housebound. Can someone with licenced facilities do 'house calls' as it were?

As far as I know, not in England. The licensing regime covers people and premises. Certainly not in my authority.

However, in Scotland it is allowed. A licence is required under the THE CIVIC GOVERNMENT (SCOTLAND) ACT 1982 (LICENSING OF SKIN PIERCING AND TATTOOING) ORDER 2006 (sorry the copy/paste is in capitals!)

I have taken the below paragraph from the LA implementation guide. www.documents.hps.scot.nhs.uk/environmental/general/piercing-tattoo-la-implementation-guide-2011-12.pdf

"In the Order itself, the terminology used to ensure that these operators are required to comply with the general requirements placed on premises where business is conducted... If an operator does not work from a fixed premises they are still required to meet the same level of infection control and good practice as an operator within a fixed premises. Therefore, when officers are considering applications from peripatetic operators they should ensure that an equivalent level of compliance exists as for fixed premises.

In terms of licensing, a peripatetic operator requires a licence from every Local Authority within which they plan to operate. The licence-holder is required to carry with them a copy of their licence at all times when conducting their business. Additionally, in order that prospective clients can successfully identify the operator and can be reassured that the operator is the licence-holder, the operator should carry with them some form of photographic identification."

Hm. Wonder why not. I don't know about moles but people certainly have teeth extracted and their gum stitched up in their bathroom.

Perhaps because there is a regulatory body for medical professionals, more accountability.

There are some exemptions fom licensing regime, for practitioners of certain bodies giving certain treatents. No tattooists are exempt. Also under Under Section 4c of the 1991 Act (London) anyone who is state registered does not require a licence; this includes Osteopaths, Physiotherapists, and Chiropodists etc.
Dentistry etc is not a special treatment so I can't comment on that.

If anyone's interested I found this very interesting document (to me!) regarding infection control in domicilary settings such as Blessyou mentioned
www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947417368

The ex

Truly horrific shit work

Possibly done by a 5 yr old

Is this the same ex that was on here the other night with another family member?

If so, isn't this thread just going to encourage more shit?

I looked into this a while ago as I had to report some idiot who tattooed my sixteen year old neice. The penalty for breach of licence was a woefully inadequate £50 fine and removal of your licence. Sad that that's all we have in place for it. I imagine it costs more than that just to take them to court.

Stuntgirl, thats awful. Did she regret it?

Worra, don't worry. All taken care of.

Nope, she's just gone to someone else to get another one done instead :(