As Scotland and Wales further relax COVID measures this week, the British Beauty Council has been working with officials in each nation on updated close contact services guidance in a move to give practitioner’s greater freedom in identifying their own risks.

Within the updated guidance, businesses are encouraged to make decisions based on the specific circumstances of how they operate with a strong focus on updating and maintaining risk assessments to judge the level of mitigation’s needed.

In Wales, all businesses will now operate following a single guidance document (https://gov.wales/alert-level-0-guidance-employers-businesses-and-organisations-html) but with close contact services such as hair and beauty also being asked to follow an additional ‘Action Card’ in order to most effectively manage risk.

Scotland is also operating under much looser guidance (https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-close-contact-services/) with an accompanying ‘Checklist’ to follow to help practitioners assess and put into place good practice.

Both countries however, will be continuing to legally require the wearing of face coverings, with the existing exemptions remaining in place and client masks permitted to be removed during treatments to the face.

Whilst neither the guidance documents or accompanying documents in each country are legally binding, as before, businesses are encouraged to consider the recommendations when compiling their risk assessments. Failure to put in adequate measures to effectively keep staff and clients safe could leave practitioners in breach of other legislation such as health and safety law.