To Whom It
May Concern
As a professional body piercing facility,
LICENSED FOR BODY PIERCING in the City of Victoria, we abide
by the Federal and Provincial regulations and guidelines listed
below:
(1)Federal Infection Prevention and Control
Practices for Personal Services: Tattooing, Ear/Body Piercing,
and Electrolysis (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/lcdc/publicat/ccdr/99pdf/cdr25s3e.pdf)
(2)British Columbia Ministry of Health Guidelines
for Personal Service Establishments
(www.hlth.gov.bc.ca/protect/pdf/pse.pdf)
(3)British Columbia Ministry of Health Guidelines
for Ear and Body Piercing
(www.hlth.gov.bc.ca/protect/pdf/PHI082.pdf)
Those who follow the Provincial Guidelines
For Ear and Body Piercing are required to "take measures
to prevent disease transmission and injury", and to obtain
Informed Consent from their clients. This means advising clients
of the health risks involved with body piercing, and advising
them that these risks are reduced if the provincial guidelines
are followed.
In accordance with this requirement, we provide
our customers with information on piercing guns, as per the
Provincial Regulations. Specifically:
(a)"In order to give their informed
consent, minors must have the maturity to and must understand
all the implications of being pierced. It is recommended
that operators require minors to obtain parental consent."
Note that the informed consent of the individual being pierced
is required, while parental consent is only recommended.
We are frequently asked by parents to pierce
their babies’ ears, and we explain that we can not because
we are required to satisfy ourselves that the piercee is undertaking
the procedure of his/her own free will, and that he/she has
the maturity to and does understand all the implications of
being pierced. Naturally, most people ask why piercing gun
outlets pierce babies’ ears, and our response is that
they should ask the piercing gun outlet.
(b)"Specialized ear piercing guns
should only be used for piercing of the earlobe. No other
part of the body or ear should be pierced by using a piercing
gun." Piercing body parts other than the earlobe
is also covered by the Federal regulations. Section III(1)
states that "The ear piercing gun should be used
only for piercing the fleshy part of the ear lobes. The
gun is not suitable for piercing other parts of the body
such as the navel, the nasal cartilage, or the cartilage
areas of the ear. The action of the ear piercing gun can
damage tissue and create a risk for later infection."
As long as we have customers walking into
our studio with piercing gun studs in their nostrils, ear
cartilages, navels, tongues, or nipples, we will advise them
that the Provincial Guidelines require all piercing facilities
(guns or needles) to obtain Informed Consent. We do
not pick one piercing gun outlet to send everyone to; we ask
people if the outlet that pierced their nostril, navel, etc
advised them of the Federal and Provincial Guidelines and
Regulations regarding piercing body parts other than earlobes.
If they were not advised, then the consent was not "informed",
and we suggest that the consumers (a) return to the outlet
for clarification, and (b) file a complaint with the Capital
Regional Health District, the Provincial Ministry of Health,
and The Better Business Bureau.
Sincerely,
John Zukowski Elaine Zukowski
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