Personal Service Establishments & Major Planned Events

A personal service establishment provides a personal service to or on the body of another person (e.g., tanning beds, tattooing and piercing). A major planned event is a planned temporary gathering in B.C. whose nature, expected attendance level, duration and/or location challenges the response capability of a community. 

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Personal Service Establishments
Major Planned Events

Personal Service Establishments

Many personal service procedures have the potential to transmit viral infections such as hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), as well as bacterial skin infections such as streptococcus and staphylococcus. Personal service procedures include, but are not limited to, the ones in the table below. The inclusion of any personal service in this table does not imply that the Ministry of Health or health authorities endorse them as safe or useful.

Examples of Services provided by Personal Service Establishments (PSEs)      

*Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs) are regulated under the Medical Practitioners Regulation.
**The Pool Regulation applies to hydrotherapy pools and therapeutic baths.

Guidelines for Personal Service Establishments

The Guidelines for Personal Service Establishments (PDF, 939KB) have been developed to help PSE operators prevent health hazards that may endanger or transmit infection to their clients or themselves.

Note: Operators performing personal services to or on the body of another person within a health authority facility must comply with the provincial  Best Practice Guidelines for Cleaning, Disinfection and Sterilization of Critical and Semi-critical Medical Devices (PDF, 2.1MB).

Guidelines for Personal Services offered at Tradeshows

The Guidelines for Personal Services offered at Tradeshows (PDF, 667KB) clarify the expectations of personal service operators at tradeshows, and provide guidance on preventing health hazards.

Guidelines for Body Modification

The Guidelines for Body Modification (PDF, 1.0MB) clarify what is expected of PSE operators who offer body modification services (e.g., tattooing and piercing), and provide guidance on preventing health hazards.

Guidelines for Floatation Tanks

The Guidelines for Floatation Tanks (PDF, 258KB) clarify the expectations of PSE operators offering floatation tank services, and provide guidance on preventing health hazards.

Guidelines for Laser Hair Removal

The Laser Hair Removal Devices: Safety Guidelines for Owners/Operators (PDF, 355KB) provide essential information on laser safety for operators of laser-hair-removal devices. A brief, inadvertent exposure to high-power laser radiation can cause permanent eye damage and/or skin burns.

Guidelines for Microblading

Microblading is a form of semi-permanent cosmetic tattooing used to create the impression of fuller eyebrows. Unsterile microblading equipment can transmit infectious diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and skin infections. Allergic reactions to inks and scarring from repeated tattooing are also risks of microblading.

There are two microblading fact sheets that have been developed to provide the public and personal service operators with information on the health risks associated with microblading and the steps they can take to help protect their health.

Fact Sheet for Operators (PDF 264KB)

Fact Sheet for Public (PDF 228KB)

Major Planned Events

A “major planned event” or "mass gathering" is any planned temporary gathering in B.C. whose nature, expected attendance level, duration and/or location challenges the response capability of a community (local first responders and/or local community). The new Public Health Guidelines: Major Planned Events have been developed to help event organizers and host communities work together to plan for major events. To view the guidelines and for more information, see Major Planned Events.