Licences may soon be required for tattoo parlours
Posted June 6, 2011 8:34 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The city is considering requiring all body art establishments obtain a licence.
Toronto Public Health made the recommendation to ensure all facilities that provide body piercing, tattooing and other body art services get a licence, meaning those establishments would have to post inspection results, much like the way restaurants do under the DineSafe program.
“Right now there are no standards. So anyone can go open up and start doing it,” said Dr. Barbara Yaffe of Toronto Public Health.
The recommendation goes before the Public Health Board Tuesday.
Currently, barber shops and beauty salons require a license, but it seems that the idea is quickly gathering support.
“There have been so many problems from pedicures to manicures, to health and safety that being licensed is just being safe,” said tattoo enthusiast Andrea Stokes.
Body art establishments are inspected to ensure their tools are properly cleaned and sterilized, but licensing would mean officials would have a comprehensive list of who is in business.
“The bottom line is always sterility and keep making sure everything is clean and safe,” said tattoo artist Steve Mills.
