Skin piercing

Woking Borough Council has adopted the following byelaws under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 relating to skin piercing activities:

• acupuncture
• electrolysis
• ear piercing 
• tattooing

The bye-laws include personal hygiene requirements; the cleanliness of premises and fittings; the cleansing and sterilisation of instruments; materials and equipment required for the skin piercing activity.

Both the individuals who carry out the skin piercing and the premises at which the activity is to be carried out are required to be registered with the local authority.

Businesses carried out under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner i.e. doctor or dentist, do not require registration under these provisions.

There is a one-off registration fee for both premises and persons. Re-registration is required only when there is a change in operator at a premises.

Body piercing

At present, body piercing, excluding the activities described here, is not affected by this legislation. However, it is still subject to the general requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and further related legislation.