Attitude of providers of beauty services towards safety of the services and hygiene inspection

The providers of beauty services have been under very little exploration and there is a real threat of catching an infectious disease in hairdressing and beauty salons. Only one study on a similar topic has been made about the psychosocial conditions and health of those who work in hairdressers and beauty parlours. Aim of the study. To evaluate the attitude of those employed in hairdressing and beauty salons towards safety of the services and specialist hygiene inspection in Kaunas city. Objectives: 1. To evaluate the opinion of the providers of beauty services about the importance of the hygiene inspection. 2. To reveal the knowledge of the providers of beauty services about the beauty services safety regulations. 3. To compare the understanding of the business licence holders and the employed persons about the safety of the beauty services. Methods. The survey was carried out using a prepared questionnaire. The employees of hairdressing and beauty salons of Kaunas city were interviewed. The questionnaires had up to 7 days to be filled in. 380 anonymous questionnaires were distributed to the employees of hairdressing and beauty salons in Kaunas city. The data were analysed using SPSS version 12.0 Results. Nearly two-thirds of working with business licence (64,4 percent) and less than one-third of employees (31.4 percent) during hygiene inspection want to know what is it they do wrong in their work. 62,2 percent of employees are instructed about the hygiene standards and beauty services legislation by their employers and 85,0 percent business licence holders find about the beauty services legislation themselves. 40,5 percent of employed beauty services providers think that safety of beauty services is “Health protection from harmful environmental factors”. More than half business licence holders think that safety of beauty services is a “Set of measures which protects the public from diseases”. Conclusions. Business licence holders during hygiene inspection want to know what is it they do wrong in their work and the employees want to evaluate their activity. Employees are instructed about the hygiene standards and beauty services legislation by their employers and business licence holders find the necessary information themselves. Employees of beauty services think that safety of beauty services is “Health protection from harmful environmental factors” and business licence holders think that safety of beauty services is a “Set of measures which protects the public from diseases”. Practical recommendations. To consult the persons commencing the activities of beauty services, provide information for beauty services providers on revisions and changes of hygiene standards and regulations of beauty services. Having determined violations or unconformities, to inform beauty services providers on violations and unconformities adjustment methods, to present the information on the Public Health Center website or during seminars