This article was originally posted at some time between 2015 and September, 2020. It is being re-posted now as part of our website reconstruction. Some of the dates mentioned in this article may reference the time period from which it was originally posted.
Tattoos and body art continue to gain popularity in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) more than 20% of Americans now have at least one piece of permanent body art. That figure skews dramatically with age.
As a corollary to this increasing demand for body art, we see increased populations of vendors who provide this service. The majority are responsibly operated and legitimate service providers. However, there is also continued concern with providers who are not properly licensed and trained. The biggest concern with these less-than-legitimate providers is they often lack the proper training on health hazards involved with tattooing.
In my experience, most providers are very well trained, not only in their craft, but in the serious health implications involved in this type of work. While it’s true that the frequency of tattoo-related transmission of HIV and Hepatitis B and C are exceedingly rare, there are risks.
For this reason, it’s important to remember that the industry is covered by several OSHA regulations, most notably 29 CFR 1910.1030 (Bloodborne Pathogens), which you can review here. There is also some excellent information on the CDC website here.
Here are a few key points:
- Tattoo artists are clearly covered by OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogen regulation. A formal, written exposure control plan which meets the requirements of the regulation is required. As with any other type of program, it must be thoroughly customized to the organization and the industry.
- Employees must be trained at their time of assignment to a job which is covered by the regulation, and at least annually thereafter. All training must be documented.
- Proper Personal Protective Equipment, including latex/nitrile gloves and eye protection must be specified, provided free of cost to the employees, and MUST be worn. An employee may not decline this.
- Employees covered by the program must be offered the Hepatitis B vaccination series. If they choose to accept it, it must be provided free of charge. If they decline it, they must do so formally, by signing a declination form, provided in the appendix of the regulation.
- Standard written work practices must be developed, and followed. See the CDC link above for some good tips.