General Information	State of Wisconsin
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Wisconsin Body Art Sterilization Guidelines

HFS 173.09 Cleaning and sterilization

(1) CLEANING.

(a) After each use, tattooing and body--piercing equipment
shall be cleaned to remove blood and tissue residue before sterilization.

(b) Reusable needles, tubes and body--piercing equipment shall be placed
in a covered stainless steel container of cleaning or disinfectant solution until
they can be cleaned and sterilized.

(c) All containers holding contaminated needles, tubes, reusable body
--piercing equipment and container lids shall be cleaned and disinfected at
least daily.

(d) The tattoo machine shall be cleaned and disinfected before each use.

(e) Gloved personnel shall clean needles and tubes prior to sterilization by
doing all of the following:

1. Manually pre--cleaning the items with care taken to ensure removal of
residue; thoroughly rinsing the items with warm water and then draining the
water; cleaning the items by soaking them in a protein--dissolving
detergent--enzyme cleaner used according to manufacturer's instructions; and
cleaning the items further in an ultrasonic cleaning unit which operates at
40 to 60 hertz and is used according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2. Rinsing and drying the items.

(f) Prior to autoclaving, all needles and tubes shall be packaged either
individually or in quantities appropriate for individual procedures.
Packages shall be identifiable and dated.

(2) STERILIZATION. (a) Equipment requiring sterilization shall be
pressure--sterilized at the establishment in an autoclave and in accordance
with the manufacturer's instructions.

(b) Each batch of sterilized equipment shall be monitored for sterilization
by use of heat--sensitive indicators capable of indicating approximate time
and temperature achieved.

(c) Autoclaves shall be spore--tested at least monthly. Spore kill test
effectiveness shall be conducted by an independent laboratory.

(d) Sterilized equipment shall be wrapped or covered and stored in a
manner which will ensure that it will remain sterile until used.

(e) Each tattoo or body--piercing establishment shall maintain
sterilization records including spore tests for at least one year from the date of the
last entry, which shall include the following information:

1. Date of sterilization.

2. Name of the person operating the equipment.

3. Result of heat--sensitive indicator.

(f) Sterilized equipment shall be re--sterilized if the package is opened,
damaged or becomes wet.

(g) All methods of sterilization other than autoclaving are prohibited.

HISTORY: Cr. Register, July, 1998, No. 511, eff. 8--1--98.

HFS 173.07 Personnel

(1) ABSENCE OF SKIN CONDITION. No tattooist or body piercer with an
exposed rash, skin lesion or boil may engage in the practice of tattooing or body
piercing.

(2) RESTRICTION. No tattooist or body piercer may work while under the
influence of alcohol or a mind--altering drug.

(3) PERSONAL CLEANLINESS. (a) Tattooists and body piercers shall thoroughly
wash their hands and the exposed portions of their arms with dispensed soap
and tempered water before and after each tattoo or body--piercing procedure and
more often as necessary to keep them clean.

(b) Tattooists and body piercers shall dry their hands and arms with
individual single--service towels.

(c) Tattooists and body piercers shall maintain a high degree of personal
cleanliness and shall conform to good hygiene practices during procedures.

(4) CLOTHING. All tattooists and body piercers shall wear clean, washable
outer clothing.

(5) HYGIENIC PRACTICES. (a) When preparing the skin and during a
procedure, a tattooist or body piercer shall wear non--absorbent gloves which shall be
disposed of after completing the procedure.

(b) If interrupted during a procedure, a tattooist or body piercer shall
rewash his or her hands and put on new gloves if the interruption required
use of hands.

(c) Tattooists shall use single--use plastic covers to cover spray
bottles or other reusable accessories to minimize the possibility of transmitting body
fluids or disease during application of tattoos to successive patrons.

(d) Disposable--type razors shall be for single--use only and disposed of
in accordance with ch. NR 526. Electric razors used for skin preparation prior
to a procedure shall have screens cleaned and disinfected between patron use.

(e) Body--piercing needles shall be disposable, sterile and for
single--patron use only. Tattoo needles may be reused if cleaned, sterilized
and stored in an approved manner between patrons. Body piercing jewelry shall be
cleaned, individually packaged and sterilized prior to use.

HISTORY: Cr. Register, July, 1998, No. 511, eff. 8--1--98.

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