Salon compliance records for UK hair and beauty salons, barbers and nail bars

Salons sit in an odd spot. Hair dye, bleach and nail products are hazardous substances, so health and safety law applies in full. But some of the records salons are most often asked about, like patch tests, come from product instructions and insurance policies rather than a regulation.

This page separates the two. It covers what a hair or beauty salon, barber or nail bar in the UK should log, who checks it, and how to keep those records as digital compliance logbooks instead of a folder behind the till.

What a beauty salons business needs to record

Record	How often	Why it matters
COSHH assessments for products you use	When you start using a product, then review when anything changes	Required by law. If you employ five or more people, the assessment must be written down.
Patch test (skin allergy alert test) records	Before colour services, as the product instructions say	Manufacturer instructions, not a statute. A dated record shows you followed them if a client reacts.
Tool cleaning and disinfection	Between every client, with a daily sign-off	Good practice for all salons. For skin-piercing treatments, council byelaws can set cleaning and sterilisation rules.
Staff skin checks	Regularly, for example monthly	HSE advises regular skin checks to catch dermatitis early in hairdressers.
Client consultation and aftercare record	Each new client and each new treatment	Good practice and often an insurance expectation. It records allergies, contraindications and what was agreed.
Electrical equipment visual checks	Before use, with formal testing at risk-based intervals	HSE says the law does not require yearly PAT testing. Frequency depends on the equipment and how it is used.
Opening and closing checks	Every day	Confirms ventilation is on, chemicals are stored safely and equipment is switched off.
Fire alarm test	Weekly	Government fire safety guidance for shops recommends testing the alarm weekly.
Accident book	Every accident or reaction	Records injuries to staff and clients. Some injuries must also be reported to the enforcing authority under RIDDOR.

Who checks your records

Local authority environmental health (health and safety)
Councils, not HSE, enforce health and safety law in most salons, including COSHH. The enforcing authority regulations allocate cosmetic services such as manicuring and skin piercing to local authorities.
Your council's licensing or registration team (special treatments)
Cosmetic piercing, semi-permanent make-up, tattooing, electrolysis and acupuncture usually need registration or a licence, and premises must meet local byelaws on cleanliness and sterilisation. The rules differ in Wales and Scotland.
Fire and rescue authority
Enforces the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales: fire risk assessment, alarms and escape routes. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own fire safety law.

If your records are missing

An environmental health officer who finds no COSHH assessment, or controls that are not being followed, can give advice or take formal action such as an improvement notice. The size of your team affects whether the assessment has to be written, but the duty to assess applies to every employer (HSE).

For licensed or registered treatments such as cosmetic piercing, the council sets the conditions. Poor hygiene records can put a registration or licence at risk when it is reviewed or renewed.

If a client has a reaction and makes a claim, your patch test and consultation records are your evidence that you followed the product instructions and asked the right questions. Without them it is difficult to show what happened. Check your insurance policy for any record-keeping conditions.

Quick answer

UK salons must assess the risks from the chemicals they use under COSHH, and write it down if they employ five or more people. Patch tests before colour services come from manufacturer instructions rather than a specific law, but a dated record is your evidence if a client reacts. Skin-piercing and similar treatments usually need council registration or a licence.

Law, guidance or good practice?

Record	Where it comes from	Status
COSHH assessment	Control of Substances Hazardous to Health	Law. Written record if you have five or more employees
Gloves, hand care and skin checks	HSE hairdressing guidance	HSE guidance on how to meet COSHH
Patch test	Product instructions	Manufacturer guidance; check your insurance policy
Skin-piercing hygiene	Council registration and byelaws	Law where the treatment needs registration
Electrical testing	Electricity at Work Regulations, HSE FAQs	Law requires safe equipment; no fixed test interval
Tool cleaning log	Good practice	Not specified by law for most hair and nail work

COSHH in a salon, in plain terms

List every product that carries a hazard warning: colours, bleach, perm and relaxer solutions, nail monomers and removers, disinfectants and cleaning products. For each one, note the harm it can cause, who uses it, and how you control the risk. HSE's key messages for hairdressers are a good starting point: wear disposable non-latex gloves for shampooing, colouring and bleaching, change gloves between clients, and check your skin regularly for early signs of problems.

HSE's COSHH overview gives the example of a hairdresser with dermatitis from wet work, whose employer brought in gloves and regular skin checks. Logging those checks monthly takes a minute and shows the control is working.

Patch tests

Many permanent and some semi-permanent hair dyes contain PPD, which the NHS notes can irritate skin or cause allergic reactions. The NHS advises following the instructions that come with the dye. Most colour brands tell you to carry out a skin allergy alert test before each colour service, commonly 48 hours ahead, but timings vary by product. Record the date, the product, the result and who did it.

Tool hygiene between clients

Clean tools of hair and debris, then disinfect them using a product suitable for the job and follow its contact time. Single-use items such as nail files and buffers should be binned after each client. A simple between-client tick and an end-of-day sign-off, with a photo of the disinfection set-up, is usually enough to show the routine is real.

On the phone in your pocket

LogBooks Hub turns patch tests, tool cleaning, skin checks and fire tests into quick tasks with reminders. Entries are timestamped, you can attach a photo, and everything exports as a one-click audit pack PDF. It works on any device in the browser, or on the iOS and Android apps. Plans start from £30/month.

LogBooks Hub logbooks for beauty salons

These come ready to use from our 90+ digital compliance logbooks. Each one reminds staff when a check is due, records who did it and when, and can hold a photo as evidence.

Patch test record
COSHH product register
Tool cleaning and disinfection log
Staff skin check log
Client consultation record
Cleaning schedule
Opening and closing checks
Electrical equipment visual checks
Chemical storage check
Fire alarm weekly test
First aid kit check
Accident book

Free printable versions: Cleaning schedule, Opening and closing checks, Fire alarm weekly test log.

Frequently asked questions

Do salons need COSHH assessments?

Yes. Any business that uses substances that could harm health must assess and control the risks under COSHH, and hair dyes, bleach, nail products and many cleaning products fall into that group. If you employ five or more people, HSE says you must write the assessment down. With fewer, HSE still recommends noting what you found and what you did.

Is a patch test a legal requirement in the UK?

There is no UK law that specifically requires a patch test before every colour. The requirement usually comes from the product instructions, which most colour brands set at 48 hours before each service. Your insurer may also have conditions. Following the instructions and keeping a dated record is the safest position if a client reacts.

Do I need a licence for ear piercing or semi-permanent make-up?

Usually, yes. In England, councils that have adopted Part VIII of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 register people and premises for cosmetic piercing, tattooing, semi-permanent skin-colouring and electrolysis, and can make hygiene byelaws. Wales has a special procedures licensing scheme and Scotland licenses skin piercing and tattooing. Ask your council before offering the treatment.

Who inspects hair and beauty salons?

Your council's environmental health team enforces health and safety law in most salons, including COSHH. The council's licensing team deals with special treatments such as piercing. The fire and rescue authority enforces fire safety law. HSE sets the guidance but does not usually inspect salons itself.

Do salon hairdryers and straighteners need PAT testing every year?

No fixed annual test is required by law. HSE says the frequency of inspection and testing depends on the equipment and the environment it is used in, and recommends a risk-based approach. Quick visual checks by staff before use catch most faults. Hand-held equipment that is used heavily may need formal testing more often.

How should salon tools be cleaned between clients?

Remove hair and debris, clean with detergent, then disinfect with a product suitable for the job, following its contact time. Throw away single-use items. This is good practice rather than a detailed legal standard for hair and nail work. For skin-piercing treatments, your council's byelaws may set specific cleaning and sterilisation rules.

Official guidance and sources

This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; check with your local authority if you are unsure.

Keep these records on your phone

Works on any device in the browser, or grab the iPhone or Android app. From £30 a month for one site and two users.