Implementing Effective Salon Protocols for Covid-19 Safety in South Africa

Clean Salon Protocol We ve compiled a summary of best practices for the reopening of our Hairdressing Salons in South Africa. The objection of these protocols is to assist salons to establish an environment that mitigates the spread of Covid-19, which if properly implemented and complied with, would assist with the sustainable of health and safety of the employees and customers in the Hairdressing services industry. New salon protocol built on 4 key areas 1 Salon Organization 2 Working Organization 3 New Client Journey 4 What to do in case of infection suspicion

Salon Organisation Working station area spacing Adjust the number of workstations in your salon to maintain a distance of 1,5 meters in all directions. Only the customer and the responsible employee may approach each other for the duration of the hairdressing activities. Protective measures such as wearing disposable masks, face shields and capes must be consistently adhered to. Capes must be changed after serving each customer and re-use can only be done after the cape has been washed with water and soap. Simultaneous working with several customers by one employed person is only permissible with consistent compliance with the protective measures: - use cleaned/unused working materials per customer - observe the protective distance of 1,5 meters - observe personal hygiene, hand disinfection, change of disposable gloves and disposable/cloth masks. Waiting area Waiting areas must be closed to avoid crowds. Cashier In the reception area, a protective shield can be placed between the customer and the cash register. If possible process payments by card, ideally using contactless payment. Sanitize/wash hands after handling cash. Sanitary & break rooms Hand sanitizers, skin-friendly liquid soap and disposable towels must be provided. Adequate cleaning and hygiene should be maintained. You may need to adjust cleaning intervals. This is particularly important for sanitary facilities and common areas. Sufficient distance must also be ensured in break rooms.

Salon Organisation Ventilation Stock rooms and kitchens, especially sanitary rooms, must be adequately ventilated even in unfavourable weather conditions. This reduces any risk of infection as it may reduce pathogenic droplets present in the air. Internal meetings & trainings The employees must be instructed in the prevention and occupational safety measures in the salon and for customer contact. Meetings or employee training should be reduced or postponed to the bare minimum. Alternatively, technical solutions such as telephone or video conferencing should be used as far as possible. If presence events are absolutely necessary, there must be sufficient distance between the participants. Working equipment/tools Working utensils such as combs, brushes may only be used on the washed head of the client. Multiple use with different people, without intermediate cleaning is prohibited. All materials must be cleaned after each customer. All tools must be cleaned and disinfected at the end of the appointment or immediately if there is visible contamination with blood. Working hours The occupancy density of work areas and shared facilities must be de- equalised in time for example, by shift working and break times or shift operation.

Working Organisation Appointment Adjust appointment logistics to stay within safety guidance: Only allow the maximum number of clients you can welcome in the salon at the same time to keep within spacing criteria Consider extending opening hours to welcome more clients and adjust staff working time accordingly Take into consideration the time needed to clean materials and work stations in between clients Recommend the cancellation of client s appointments in case of symptoms such as cough or fever Clients & Employees safety rules The minimum distance (1,5 metres) between customers and employees must be maintained Both hairdresser and client must wear masks during the service. Prioritise conversations with the clients via the mirror and not face to face. Disinfect working tools, service area and other surfaces in between clients. Avoid touching the face of the client. Client and Employee must wear disposable or washable protective capes. Prioritise performing the service with gloves. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly for 20-30 seconds. Cough or sneeze on a disposable tissue or on the bend of the elbow Don t shake hands, kiss or hug clients, colleagues or third parties employees The client chooses to receive a service and exempts the salon from liability

New Client Journey Couch Consultation Do all consultations via a video call before the actual appointment. Guide your client to the right Services considering the gap in their normal routine. This will help save time when your clients are in the salon which will allow you to service more clients per day. Talk to the client looking into the mirror and not directly when in the salon. Welcome First impressions are important. Your clients are looking for reassurance. Share your Clean salon Protocol and make all yourprecautions highly visible. Always keep a safe distance from your client and do not touch them. Talk about Hair, Beauty and Fashion, don t talk too much about the crisis. The salon experience should be part of the journey back to normality. Make music part of the journey to keep the experience unique. SMILE, even behind a mask your client will see it in your eyes. Suspend the provision of all beverage and food amenities for customers. Shampoo The shampooing is the favourite part of the experience for most clients, the part where they can really relax. Pay attention to the clients mask while washing the hair.

New Client Journey Treatment The treatment is the heart of the hair s healing process. Take care to apply product drop by drop, not touching the skin with the spout of the applicator. No unnecessary touching and no scalp, neck, shoulder and arm massages at the basin. Services Involve your client in the colour mixing and take extra care with the application of all products. Fully discussing the action and benefit of the product builds the credibility of the at home follow up recommendations. Retail Until the moment salon visit frequency returns to normal, the retailing of products for at home maintenance is even more important. Make sure products and prices are clearly displayed, and even more importantly the benefits are made clear. Leaving Thank your client for re-visiting you, their trust in these difficult circumstances and get their personal feedback on their experience, especially on the safety measures taken. If possible prioritise payments by credit card. Loyalty Loyalty is a two way process. Recommend pro-actively the client to book the next visit and align availability accordingly. Finally don t forget to disinfect all the materials and the working station once the client has left and before welcoming a new one.

What to do in case of infection suspicion If and when an employee shows COVID-19 symptoms at work (find below a breakdown of symptoms) he/she must be provided with a FFP1 surgical mask and must then be transported to the nearest hospital in a manner that will not place other workers or members of the public at risk. Some of the COVID-19 Symptoms are: fever cough sore throat redness of eyes difficulty breathing The risk of transmission must then be assessed, disinfect the area and the worker s workstation, refer those workers who may be at risk for screening and take any other appropriate measure to prevent possible transmission as per requirements set out in the Final OHS COVID19 Directive. After an employee has been diagnosed with COVID-19, the salon should report it to the department of health and the department of employment and labour immediately. They will then investigate the cause of the infection as well as which control measures, that you implemented, failed. This report will be compiled and kept for viewing as well as record keeping purposes. If and when any of our staff members are to be found positive of COVID-19 we will phone the below contact numbers immediately to alert the authorities. a) The National Institute for Communicable Diseases COVID-19 PUBLIC TOLL-FREE NUMBER 0800 029 999 b) The Department of Health If you have flu-like symptoms, and have come into contact with someone who has the coronavirus, please contact the national hotline on 0800 029 999 WhatsApp Support Line: 0600-123456 c) Department of Employment and Labour Provincial Offices http://www.labour.gov.za/Contacts/Provincial-offices Labour Centres http://www.labour.gov.za/Contacts/Labour-centres/Pages/default.aspx