Latest News – UKAPP

2018“Safer Together”Conference for Tattoo Artists & Body Piercers

Hosted by Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, reviewed by Lola Slider

Hello reader and welcome to the UKAPP’s first official blog post! The UKAPP have been wanting to provide our members and the whole community with a monthly blog to better keep you in touch with what we actually do conference to conference. What good fortune then for our first month of blogging to coincide with the first ever “Safer Together” conference.

A little bit of background on the conference and our involvement – Public Health Wales passed new legislation in 2017 to introduce a new licence in development called a“Special Procedures” license designed to cover piercing, tattooing and some cosmetic services where practitioners come into contact with blood and needles for example micro-blading. Under this new scheme by 2020 individual practitioners of all experience levels will be required to sit a day course covering fundamental principles of infection control and work specific first aid. At this time there is really no test of competence in place to ensure a practitioner has even a very basic knowledge of cross contamination or infection control and that can pose a serious public health risk. There is also no system in place to prevent practitioners who have previously been shut down for health code violations from simply re-opening down the street with a different employees name on the license, as no individual license is required.

So in a nutshell the two key things this legislation will do is:

1. Provide a simple, essential, baseline of information all practitioners should have access to and- we cannot stress this enough – it is NOT a suggested replacement of in house training. It will not cover any practical information regarding tattoo application or piercing procedure. It focuses on basic infection prevention and safe work practice controls only.

2. It will give the Welsh government more powers to immediately halt work and prosecute individuals performing unlicensed or illegal tattooing and prevent persons who have previously been found guilty of health violations from automatically being able to work in another premises.

The UKAPP is working closely with the Welsh government to make sure that the course in development contains material that is relevant to our industry, so if you read no further, please be assured that the Welsh government is not attempting to blindly impose it’s will or give us extra hoops to jump through. The purpose of the Safer Together conference was the first of many events where they wish to work directly with the community to develop a course that is:

1. Affordable, with a transparent and justifiable cost.

2. Palatable to practitioners of all literacy levels and inclusive to practitioners with learning differences.

3. Less red tape, with one course valid across all 22 Welsh constituencies for 3 years (guest licenses also available)

So, how did the conference go down on the day? Very well actually!

If I sound a little surprised when I say that it’s only because I honestly had no idea what to expect. I had met Dr. Sarah Jones of the Health Policy Protection and Legislation Branch before at the UKAPP conference and had no doubt that this was a project of some significance to her but as this event is rather unusual in format, with a blend of Health Officers, Government Officials, Doctors, Tattooer and Piercers, I don’t think any of us knew exactly what to expect. What we actually got was a fantastic reception from the Radisson Blu Cardiff which was a lovely surprise. Hot and cold drinks, biscuits and pastries where available for all attendees and were restocked all through the day with soy milk being readily available at all times.A freshly prepared lunch buffet was laid on that seemed to cater to many dietary requirements and we had full access to the bar dining area which was a lovely breathing space so we weren’t at all confined to the function suite like cattle and you could breeze in and out quite freely for a coffee.The function suite itself was ballroom size (sold out to capacity it appeared) seating was available in round wedding style tables facing the stage. All equipped with table water, pads and pens. There were projector screens at the front and back of the room with an additional two flat screen TV’s in the middle to create an easily followed presentation regardless of seating position. All speakers had access to a microphone so all where audible and there were no significant technical issues.These elements might not seem important but I think it’s relevant to establish that for the ticket price (£30 early bird, £80 last minute) we were very much taken care of and the presentations of the day included 8 speakers, some of whom spoke more than once, who discussed a wide range of subjects from a modern history of tattooing to skin cancer awareness to a dermatologist’s look at infection. Another pleasant surprise was that attendance certificates where also provided to all attendees.

The UKAPP was approached by city council members from England interested in hosting similar events and we were also approached by doctors regarding our FGM leaflets so I definitely think attending these events increases our reach as an educational organisation into sectors we haven’t previously had an “in” to. One thing I did notice was that there were very few people in attendance that I knew already, online or in real life. For me that’s a really, really good thing because what kills a conference in my opinion is a room full of people who all know each other, who all agree already, nodding at each other. While there was a lot of positive feedback real criticisms where also raised and different pockets of the community were represented.

Low Points

So you’ll be pleased to hear there aren’t a lot of negative things I have to say about the conference. If I could make one criticism it would be that there wasn’t really a clear narrative about what’s going to happen now going forward. With a deadline of 2020 it would be good to see some sort of timeline – however the purpose of this conference was to get feedback from the community so I do appreciate that you can’t go forward until that feedback is take into consideration.I also think that some of the speakers slots could have been arranged in a slightly different order to give the day a better structure but that’s hindsight, organising this event for the first time it would be impossible to know exactly how each presentation would land or even what the audience demographics would be.

High Points

Pretty much all speakers where incredibly receptive to intense Q&A and showed a willingness to address community concerns. Sample material of potential future testing was available to attendees to provide feedback on which really puts attendees right in the centre of the conversation. Something new that I learned was that this new legislation also gives the local authority to power to refuse a license to individuals who have been convicted of a limited number of relevant crimes such as sexual assault, which provides a welcome protection for vulnerable customers. Another point of significance to the piercing community was that during Dr. Matt Lodder’s talk a photograph of the late Fakir Musafar was shown, as well as Shannon Larratt and Mr. Sebastian. These may be images we’ve seen before and for some people reading this, these people will have been in your life. We should as a community take a moment to appreciate the fact that these images where displayed and discussed at a conference attended by and paid for exclusively by the Welsh Government, so that’s really, really cool and it recognises their enduring achievements.

Regulatory Services Partnership Covid Briefing Webinar – April 2021

On Wednesday 7 th April 2021 Alex Wilkins, Lola Slider and Becky Crossan
attended the Regulatory Services Partnership webinar for close contact services on behalf of the UKAPP. The Regulatory Services Partnership is a regional body
covering three London Boroughs – Merton, Richmond Upon Thames and
Wandsworth – but the information discussed in the meeting was also recorded to be posted online to benefit businesses in other local areas.

The focus of the meeting was to discuss government guidance and practical
steps for reducing the risk of Covid 19 in close contact businesses. In his capacity as Medical Liaison for the UKAPP, Alex Wilkins presented a piercing-focused
perspective of preventing the spread of Covid 19, whilst also acknowledging that
many of the suggestions were applicable to other sectors.

Alex began by explaining that the piercing industry already has confident
working knowledge of using PPE and preventing cross contamination, which has
been beneficial throughout the pandemic. He explained to the attendees how the
UKAPP had released recommendations for the piercing industry (applicable to both members and non-members) about how to reduce the risk of Covid ahead of re-opening after the first lockdown. Some of the areas he covered in his presentation were: the use of HEPA filtration in the procedure room and reception area, face coverings, moving over to working by appointment only, hand sanitising, and the importance of online consultations. He also explained that due to the piercing industry’s prior knowledge of avoiding cross-contamination in the piercing room, it was actually in the reception area of the studio that many studios found they were changing their work process. Alex explained that the additional cleaning that has started to take place in the piercing studio has been in reception and waiting areas, which has meant that studios have had to offer extra training to counter staff to make sure they are up to speed on hygiene and PPE. He emphasised the importance of having a Covid 19 Procedure Manual and Action Plan, as well as a risk assessment and guidelines for all staff.

Paul Miloseki-Reid chaired the meeting on behalf of Trading Standards and
he explained how some of the information surrounding how the virus spreads has changed through more research over time. One important point he made was that research now shows that it is virtually impossible for the virus to live on a surface for three days, as previously thought. This means that surface transmission is much less likely to happen. By no means did he suggest we stop regular cleaning, however, it is good news for studios that like to keep magazines or portfolios in their waiting area. He also further emphasised the importance of a risk assessment that is unique to your individual business. He advised thinking about your client’s journey from the moment they enter the studio until they leave and using this to make sure that every aspect of their visit is reflected in the risk assessment.

The final speaker was Raveena Purewal from Environment Health. Raveens
presentation focused on the rules that have stayed the same since the previous
lockdown. She emphasised the requirement for businesses to display the NHS Test and Trace QR codes and encourage customers to use them. She also clarified that every business must continue to have an additional test and trace system in place for customers who are unable to use the app.

Over all, the meeting was a great opportunity to share best practice with other
close contact industries and local authority bodies and Alex did a fantastic job of
explaining how our industry has been particularly forward-thinking and pro-active with keeping our clients safe, We’re hopeful that the UKAPP will be able to continue to nurture a good working relationship with Trading Standards and Environmental Health around the country to the benefit of everybody in our industry.

Becky Crossan. Public outreach and liaison

COVID-19 Safe Piercing Practise Recommendations as of May 13th

COVID-19

Safe Piercing Practise Recommendations as of May 13th
Version 1.0 subject to update following government guidelines

The UKAPP is not an official government body but a voluntary health and safety organisation. The following are our suggestions as to the minimum level of responsible safe practises to be implemented prior to returning to work after the Covid-19 pandemic. All local government laws must be followed.

RECEPTION

Common items touched by clients must be disinfected immediately after use, included but not limited to: Door handles, pens, clipboards, tablets and card readers
All non-essential furniture should be removed from the reception area to discourage loitering, limited seating may remain but must be clearly labelled to conform with social distancing i.e. “one person may be seated only”
Floor markings to denote 2 metres distance in larger spaces/tattoo and piercing studio receptions where potentially more than 1 client may be waiting to ensure clients can stand at a safe distance from each other should be clearly visible and their condition well maintained to prevent becoming a tripping hazard.
Ventilation should be employed in the reception area, air circulation can reduce viral transmission so if possible open windows and/or use a HEPA filter in the reception. HEPA filters are not currently known to remove the virus but will improve general air circulation.
Switching to appointments only if currently operating on a walk in basis is strongly recommended as it is the only way to control people traffic in the studio and provide adequate clean up time between clients.

CLIENT INTERACTION

All clients should be encouraged to wash or sanitise their hands on arrival.
Consent forms should be updated to include a client declaration stating they are not currently awaiting Covid-19 test results and to the best of their knowledge have not been within 2 metres of an individual with Covid-19 symptoms in the previous 14 days.
Clients should have a place to store their belongings that can be wiped down between uses i.e. non-porous countertop or where space is limited a plastic basin.
Face coverings* are required to be worn by all staff and all clients. In the instance that an I.D. check is required, ask your clients to remove their face covering from 2 metres away and make hand sanitiser or hand washing available to them before and after touching their mask.
Oral piercings and jewellery changes are not recommended under any circumstances.
Nasal piercings and jewellery changes are not recommended without the use of a full face shield/eye protection
No extra persons may be present in the piercing room with the exception of parental guardians or in the case of genital piercing.

STAFF TRAINING

A safe system of work Covid-19 procedure manual and action plan must be written for each studio. Assessing risk, stating what tasks must be undertaken with/between each client interaction, and what action must be taken in the event of a suspected transmission. This assessment must be made available to all employees at any time, and all employees must be provided this information and the opportunity to query it prior to returning to work.
All staff should have the same basic understanding of cross contamination, training must be provided to them at a reasonable time at which they can attend prior to re-opening.
PPE must be provided to staff including face coverings.
Protective eye wear is recommended during piercing procedures. Protective glasses should be disinfected between uses and not stored with any clean goods, a designated wall hook or small shelf would be a sufficient isolation space.

*Face coverings include all manner of face masks, each individual studio will have to determine what type of mask they will use and whether they will make masks available to clients or insist they wear their own.

In the case of reprocessing face masks, this can not be done in a clean only autoclave.

BMXnet 12th-15th September 2019 – By Kim Hutchinson (Vice President)

BMXnet is one of the longest running currently active conferences for piercers. It celebrated 13 years in 2019. It’s a truly unique experience to attend, held in the beautiful city of Essen, just a short train ride from Dusseldorf airport.

This was my 4^th time attending, and my first as a speaker. One of the things I love about BMXnet is its relaxed and informal “anything goes” atmosphere – I remember feeling a little overwhelmed my first time, but within minutes of arriving I was at ease and felt like I was among family.

The main purpose of a conference is, of course, learning. Sharing skills – both in the classes and at the bar in the evenings – is the foundation which the entire conference is built upon, but BMXnet has an amazing social aspect too! The key to this I believe lies in the venue. Unperfekthaus is a quirky, beautiful 5-storey building just off the main shopping strip in the city, it incorporates artists’ studio space and facilities, a space to create art, jewellery, clothing and textiles, sculpture and music and performance too – the entire interior of the building is decorated with work by local artists – all of which is for sale – and there are several little nooks and crannies filled with handmade items like jewellery, pincushions, knitted socks and other handcrafted items like trinket boxes and puzzles that you can purchase by paying into the ‘honesty boxes’ there. This artist-friendly atmosphere really lends itself to the event and the people who attend fit seamlessly into the environment provided. And I couldn’t talk about UPH without mentioning the food! A daily buffet is laid on for both attendees and members of the public who can pay a small charge to help themselves to a great choice of food – with vegetarian and vegan options too. A personal indulgence of mine is their rhubarb and red-currant cake which I ate more of than I am prepared to admit! See more about the house and its amazing work with the local community here: https://www.unperfekthaus.de/

For those of you reading who have never been to a piercer conference, it’s a very ‘family’ orientated vibe, lots of hugs (if that’s your thing), catching up with people you haven’t seen in ages, and as mentioned, a HUGE social aspect! BMXnet is very informal and this piercer thinks this is another of the secrets to its success! Please consider attending if you are a piercer – the knowledge you will gain and the friends you will make will enrich your career in so many ways! The conference has a ‘triple whammy’ of piercers, tattooists and body modification artists, the classes are varied and multiple languages are available (English, French, German and Spanish) from speakers – with some running their class twice, each time in a different language! As well as technique classes, we learn about our history, the psychology and anthropology behind our careers and of course roundtable discussions where a topic is discussed at length from different experiences and viewpoints – I love these as everyone contributes to the discussion, and there is no ‘right’ answer.

I was teaching 2 classes there and once the nerves had subsided, thoroughly enjoyed speaking to a group of my peers and getting feedback on the topics discussed. I also attended classes by piercers from all over the world, and picked up some valuable information and tips and techniques which I have since implemented into my daily work as a piercer. I was also asked to join Ryan Ouelette for another podcast, to discuss conferences and how they don’t simply fall out of your bottom the night before – the planning, organising, arranging and then the setting up, running of and the aftermath of a conference can be nothing short of exhausting, which is why so many of us are simply in awe of what Stefan and his team at BMXnet can do! As a UKAPP board member who has some responsibility for organising our conference, I also pick up a lot of pointers about the running of a conference from attending!

I met with friends from other areas of the UK as well as people from around the globe, we shared a few beers, had a few laughs and played our favourite conference game “What’s In Yer Pockets, Dan?” where a friend of ours shows off the treasure he carries around with him (items included a small ceramic giraffe, a lego Jafar and a severely damaged female condom).

Leaving such a beautiful venue – and indeed a beautiful city! – always fills me with a sense of sadness, but knowing I shall be returning next year gives me something to look forward to, especially if there’s any more of that rhubarb cake there….

You can view pics from the event and see info on future ones – and piercers, tattooists and body modders can register to attend – here: https://www.bmxnet.org/

UKAPP at the London ‘Special Practices’ Meeting – 5th September 2019

By Kim Hutchinson (UKAPP Vice President)

The UKAPP were approached by Sarah Jones who works for Public Health Wales (https://phw.nhs.wales/) to ask if we could attend a meeting for the special practices team in London for one of their quarterly meetings.

Sean Powell (UKAPP Secretary at the time, Sean is now our Health Officer) and myself travelled to the ‘big smoke’ to meet with some of the people who implement the health and safety measures that are in place in all tattoo and piercing studios (as well as many beauty, laser and acupuncture studios – collectively called ‘Special Practices’).

After a day in the city where we explored the gemstone exhibition at the Natural History Museum (if you haven’t seen it, try and go, it is incredible – and you have never seen two people more excited than a couple of piercers in a room filled with gemstones and natural stones!) and finding our way around by tube – a slightly alien concept to two northerners! We arose bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to meet with people who make a difference to how our industry is policed.

We found the venue and were welcomed into the meeting, Sarah joined us shortly after we arrived and we were introduced to the people attending. First up was a presentation from Duncan Stephenson from the RSPH (more on their incredible work here: www.rsph.org.uk) I had prepared a short presentation about the UKAPP and our mission and operation – we discussed WHY we felt the need was there for our organisation to form, our membership requirements and why we feel they should be implemented. There was a short Q&A session at the end of our presentation which I feel was well received and Sean and I clarified several aspects of the organisation to eager ears!

The aim of the meeting was to discuss implementing the changes made to ‘special practices’ licencing/registration in Wales – essentially ‘raising the bar’ to make sure anyone carrying out this type of procedure has the relevant knowledge and training where applicable to do their job in a safe manner. This is to reduce the risk of harm to the public, and to eliminate potential hazards which are a direct result of incorrect knowledge and appropriate training. One of the issues raised by the RSPH presentation is that many members of the public did not know that these procedures require a registration with the local council, and even more worrying, that first aid and bloodborne pathogens training is NOT a requirement!

The RSPH and UKAPP have a similar mission – to keep the public safe. While RSPH are a broader spectrum of projects and cover everything from online safety to the accessibility of public toilets, and UKAPP are – of course – specific to piercing, we both share a goal!

After the meeting, Sean and I met with Sarah Jones to debrief, and we were overjoyed to hear that the group were grateful for our help and are very aware that they can liase with us if they need any industry-specific assistance. This also led to some exciting discussions about future training opportunities.

All in all, a very worthwhile and progressive meeting, wherein absolutely no-one broke their keto diet…

Marvelous thanks to everyone that attended conference

The UKAPP would like to spend a moment to thank everyone that attended this years annual conference.

All the attendees and speakers make it possible and the vendors provide an opportunity not matched at any other UK event.

In particular Industrial Strength for sponsoring the event

But also: Neometal for going above and beyond for the raffle prizes. As well as Anatometal UK, Maya, Tattoo accountants, Glass wear studios, Auris, Danila Tarcinale, Tsar, Sacred Symbols and Neilmed

Safer Together conference, 11th March Llandudno, Wales

The second conference of this nature, held by the Chartered Institute of Environment Health in Wales.

The Public Health Wales Act 2017 Special licensing scheme means to bring forth a series of improvements to modernise and regenerate the current licensing system with the aim of better ensuring public protection. The Welsh government is working closely with specialist Environmental Health Officers to prepare for the roll out of the scheme in 2020
A ‘Special Procedures’ license includes body piercing, electrolysis, tattooing, acupuncture, micro blading and micro pigmentation.

All practitioners undertaking special procedures whether they are currently registered or not will need to apply for a license in 2020 and thereafter to operate in Wales.

To get an individual license you will need to:
Attend and pass an approved course in infection control (1)
Meet environmental criteria
Provide a passport style photo
Complete an application form using provided guidance
Pay an application fee (2)
Provide a passed DBS check (3)
Provide evidence of public liability insurance
Complete an interview with an EHO

(1) The course is a requirement for licensing and not competency to practice
(2) Local Authorities are prohibited in making a profit from this scheme and cost will be based on admin time and time taken to process the application
(3) Formerly CBR check, Disclosure and Barring Service

This is the first time a unifying scheme of this nature has been rolled out on such a large scale. Each county in Wales will now have the same requirements, meaning if a guest artist wishes to work in any studio within Wales, the same license can be carried.
It also means that any guest artist traveling to Wales will need a license.

Throughout this process, the UKAPP have played a large part in picking apart the existing CIEH Toolkit which was in places outdated and contained information that would no longer stand up to peer review. Also in working alongside the Royal Society of Public Health, the organization that will be providing ‘level 2 infection control’ course required for licensing. Including advising on content and required pass score.

This scheme shows no evidence of slowing down and the CIEH and the UKAPP already have their sights on the rest of the UK.
The UKAPP will be meeting with the ‘special procedures’ council in London later this year.

These efforts stand to strengthen the industry’s base level of education. Ensuring public health and safety as well as providing a minimum education level for all license holders. Something which has been previously unheard of.

MEMBERSHIP: Joining, Renewing & Reaping The Rewards

By Kim Hutchinson

Happy new year to you all!

A new year means membership renewal! We currently do all our renewals in January (31^st January being the cut-off point), and during this we get our members to update us with certain things (first aid certificate, CPR training, BBP courses, insurance – all the important stuff!) to ensure that they are still upholding the highest standards possible.

This year is especially exciting (I promise that IS the correct choice of words!) because we have a brand-spankin’-new renewal process, which makes it easier for our members to renew their membership. We have also revamped the initial application form too (el Presidente was on fire with these over the Christmas break!)

Our new (and improved) membership application (for new members) is here: http://www.ukapp.org.uk/membership-application/ – the eagle-eyed among you will notice that now you upload pictures of each required item (first aid certificate, CPR certificate, BBP training certificate, pics of your autoclave/steriliser’s helix test log, insurance – and other important things) directly from your laptop, making it easier and more seamless for people applying as well as being easier for us to process applications (yay!) If you would like a copy of our membership pack, just email me – vicepresident@ukapp.org.uk and I’ll send one out!

And our renewal form (current members to submit their renewal) is here: http://www.ukapp.org.uk/2019-existing-members/ – as with the initial application form, you simply send us pics of your ‘important stuff’ via this form, and then we check it and make sure it is all up to date (and that it will be valid on your renewal date). So things like insurance and BBP training which MUST be renewed yearly are submitted so we can make sure all our members have the relevant up-to-date training and safeguarding measures! While we are currently adding to our requirements yearly (next year and 2020 will be the final 2 changes!) we also make sure that each member is up to date on these, and if not we would contact them and offer help and guidance on HOW they can meet the updated requirements. Because we want to help, and we absolutely want to keep our members working o the highest standards.

SO HOW DOES IT ALL WORK?

When a new member submits their application, it is checked over by a board member, we make sure that all our membership requirements are met – we do this through the questionnaire answers and the narrated studio walkthrough video that each member submits to show their working environment. Once all the boxes are ticked and we are satisfied that each member meets or exceeds the requirements, they get that all important email telling them they are our newest member, their membership dues are paid, and their certificate is sent out.

Each year after this, members are sent an email asking them to renew their membership, which is checked on submission, the member’s certificate is then prepped, printed out and sent to them to display proudly in their studio! Bish, bash, bosh!

WHAT BENEFITS COME WITH MEMBERSHIP?

The UKAPP has, in the past, been called upon to help governing bodies develop new legislation and ‘tools’ for piercers and other body art industry professionals, to give statements to the media on piercing topics and to act as a self-regulating union of piercers – meaning that as our numbers grow, so does the influence and impact we can have on the UK’s piercing industry. We are recognised as a group of piercers that are striving to up the standards set by local councils for piercers, as well as individuals who are dedicated to working to the highest possible standards within their own work environment. A piercer’s membership with us and their adherence to our standards shows this.

UKAPP members have access to our members-only forum on Facebook, where they can chat with other members, ask for help and advice. Furthermore, their details are added to the ‘find a member’ section of our website – meaning potential clients can find them easily, and their membership entitles them to a whole range of perks! Discounts with suppliers, extra advertising and promotion from our social media squad on Facebook and Instagram and of course a discount on their pass for our yearly conference!

In short, our members get a whole load of perks, and in return they help us grow and make our voice louder!

We encourage any prospective members to contact us for help with their application, or with any queries about our requirements – and look forward to accepting new members in the coming months!