Hair salon not following law?

[MaskWearer]

I visited my hairdresser in early August. The salon specialises in a certain type of treatment which takes a couple of hours or so per client, but my hairdresser wasn't wearing a mask or a visor. I was surprised at the time as I thought they had to? I was wearing a mask the whole time but felt uncomfortable. (I should have spoken up straight away). They didn't open the door either which they could have done to ventilate the place. Anyway I noticed a Covid-19 safety certificate on the wall so they must be assessing salons or something? I asked her about her not wearing a mask and she said she refused to wear one as ultimately you can't stop the virus and everyone's going to get it in the end and no way was she going to spend all day in a mask. I was annoyed as I only booked thinking they would be safe (as it says they are following guidelines on the website). But by then she was halfway through my hair so I was stuck.

Anyway does anyone know the rules about what hairdressers do and don't have to do to protect clients? Is it law? I want to go back and to get my hair done soon as we may have salon closures again. But I don't want to go if she's still not wearing a mask or visor.

Can you report salons not following guidelines?

Your so unhappy but you want to go back and give them more of your money?

Phone the salon up and ask her. If she says that she won't be wearing a mask then go elsewhere. I would be tempted to report her as I think businesses have a higher responsibility to keep their customers safe. No idea who too though. Trading standards?

To add to what Wankerchief said, I would have left the first time as soon as I saw that she wasn't trying to protect you. No way would I have stayed to spend 2 hours in her company.

She sounds bloody selfish, she needs to wear a mask to protect her clients. I wouldn’t go there.

The government has changed its guidelines on the PPE hairdressers and beauty therapists can wear whilst working. They now have the option to either wear a visor or goggles, as well as a Type II face mask, following calls from hairdressers concerned about reduced visibility while wearing visors.

These are the new rules OP

Just go and get your hair done, its all bullshit.

The Covid secure cert is something you print off yourself to say you've done a risk assessment and are following the guidelines. No one check or verifies that it's true.

The requirement is that hairdressers wear mask and visor together, if she isn't doing that then she is not running a Covid secure business.

Just go and get your hair done, its all bullshit.

ODFOD

My hairdresser was terrible the other day. Masks under their noses or none at all, telling clients they didn’t need to wear masks, minimal cleaning, no hand washing, reusing gowns, not 2m between clients.

Compared to the salon I take my little girl, sanitiser on entrance. Masks for all. Cleaning seats & work stations etc after each client really thoroughly. Reusable gowns (terrible for the environment 😫), screens & only every other station used.

I won’t be rushing back to mine. I’m not worried about getting Covid but I’m feeling very bleugh at the idea of isolating for 14 days cos Covid has gone round the hairdressers! But I’m not gona report them. I don’t care what they do, I’m no snitch. I’ll just not go back.

Why on earth do you want to give businesses that flout the rules your money? Go somewhere where they take the recommended precautions.

Can you report salons not following guidelines?
If they have a website and FB page, I would put a review on it about their lack of compliance so that clients and potential clients are aware of it.

I posed the question on a hairdressers' FB page, when their profile showed them only wearing visors, as to whether they were now following the new rules of masks under visors. My comment had quite a few likes. I left it a couple of weeks then phoned them and they are now all wearing masks too so I booked an appointment.

@Bol87

My hairdresser was terrible the other day. Masks under their noses or none at all, telling clients they didn’t need to wear masks, minimal cleaning, no hand washing, reusing gowns, not 2m between clients.

But I’m not gona report them. I don’t care what they do, I’m no snitch. I’ll just not go back.
Wtf? You'd rather not be labelled a snitch than have a sense of responsibility or duty to help protect others? What a crap attitude to have.

The trouble is that it's a very specialist hair service and I literally don't know anywhere else that does it. I would ideally need to go back once more at the very least to tide me over the winter even with hair looking rubbish. I'd want to go knowing she'll be in a visor.

Thanks for pasting the rules @loobyloo1234 but what I'm unclear about is whether that's the actual law, or just "guidelines". I'm finding the government's messages so unclear. If it is indeed the law then I will report her, so that she has to abide. She's not even the owner but the owner's never there.

Its not law that they have to wear masks etc - it is still a guideline. But they can be fined if they are not ensuring they are Covid secure (if someone chooses to report them)

I agree though, it is not clear - maybe your hairdresser doesnt realise the implications if she is reported?

Bad hair ‘v’ Risk of Death! Hmm!

Use the service, then report the bastards, that would be the absolutely honourable thing to do OP!

Can you report salons not following guidelines?

Yep report them to your local council.

It's her attitude that indicates she should be reported.

Ha ha yes know it seems ridiculously vain! Hard to explain but it's a really specialist thing without which I would literally need to wear a cap all winter until there's a vaccine. Maybe I will have to!

That was my next question- where to report them...

I went to the hairdressers last month and the stylist was wearing a visor. However, she said that the law was changing the following day and she would have to wear a mask as well. I don't know if she was right about it being law rather than guidance as I haven't looked, but her employer was obviously taking it seriously enough to comply.

That said, the other salon I went to had all stylists wearing masks and visors.

I can't see the issue with reusing gowns. If hot soap and water is good enough for our hands, washing gowns must be fine, too, and much better than disposable ones.