Operating a health business

Infection prevention and control is important so that you do not transmit a disease or infection to yourself or your clients.

The Department of Health and Human Services publish infection prevention and control guidelines for hair, beauty, tattooing and skin penetration industries.

These guidelines help those involved in the health and beauty industries to comply with requirements in the:

• Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (the Act)
• Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019

Visit the Victorian Department of Health website for Health guidelines for personal care and body art industries.

Approved notices and information sheets

The Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 require:

• the display of a Department of Health and Human Services approved notice about the scope of registration.
• Department of Health and Human Services approved information about the risks and safeguards associated with certain processes to be given to clients (tattooing, ear piercing, body piercing or other skin penetration processes).

Visit the Victorian Department of Health website to get more information on notices about scope of registration and client information sheets

Exemptions from registering

If your business is operated by and within the scope of practice of a registered health practitioner under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, you may not need to register with the local council.

Registered health practitioners listed below do not need to register their business. All other registered health practitioners, for example physiotherapist or osteopath, must register their business if undertaking skin penetration procedures.

Exempt health professionals

• dentists
• medical practitioners
• nurses or midwives
• podiatrists
• acupuncturists registered with the Chinese Medicine Board or other registered health practitioner endorsed by their National Board to practice as an acupuncturist
• pharmacists for the purposes of administering vaccines (not for other skin penetration practices, for example, ear piercing).

The registering body for exempt professionals is the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). For further information please visit the AHPRA website.