• Check the facility and equipment to make sure state laws are followed.piercing image by Dubravko Grakalic from Fotolia.com
  
  In the state of Florida, several laws pertain to body piercing. The purpose of these laws is to ensure that adequate and effective hygienic practices are met in all body piercing establishments to maintain public health and safety. Piercing patrons should independently evaluate the hygienic conditions of the premises where they intend to seek piercing services to ensure that they are receiving the best piercing experience possible.
  
  

Premises

• The building where the piercing studio is located should follow all local zoning regulations and should maintain cleanliness and up-to-date repairs. All walls, floors and equipment surfaces must be smooth and washable. They are additionally required to be non-absorbent. Wooden floors require varnish or sealant with water-resistant coating. Following all piercing procedures, surfaces require thorough cleaning and sanitizing with a sanitizer labeled with tuberculocidal activity.
  
  Pest control and airflow management is achieved through the installment of self-closing doors, and screened in or closed windows. A minimum of 45 square feet of floor space in the piercing area for each worker is required. Provision of a private screened section for customers who request their piercings in a private setting is required. Piercing stations are to remain separate. Dividers, curtains or partitions are acceptable for this purpose.
  
  There must be one designated sink outside of the restrooms with liquid soap and disposable paper towels accessible to piercers in the procedural area per every three piercers. For cleaning instruments, another compartment sink with hot and cold running water should be present along with an autoclave, single-use piercing supplies, worktables or counters, chairs, and storage for clean and sterilized instruments. The use of approved ultrasonic cleaning units eliminates the need for hot water in the compartment sink. Smoking, drinking and eating is strictly prohibited in procedural areas and spaces where any equipment is stored.
  
  

Piercings

• Piercers are required to maintain clean hands and sterilized instruments. Piercers must also practice aseptic techniques. They are required to wear fresh, disposable, sterile medical gloves for each procedure; and they can only work with sterile, single-use needles and prepackaged single-use sterile gauze or cotton swabs. Piercers cannot pierce skin that is obviously infected, diseased or exhibiting a rash. Piercers are also forbidden from working while they are ill or are carrying any disease that could transfer to customers.
  
  Before giving piercings, the affected skin must be cleaned with a topical antiseptic on a sterile gauze pad. For oral piercings, an aseptic mouthwash is used. Sterile disposable products are applied in the event of bleeding from the piercing site. After the procedure is finished, piercers are required to go over the pierced area with an antiseptic with sterile disposable gauze.
  
  

Sterilization

• Autoclave sterilization should always follow the manufacturers' directions for use. Sanitizers used for cleaning require registration through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Autoclaved instruments belong in individual packages with labeled expiration dates that do not exceed 30 days past the point of autoclaving.
  
  Instruments are stored in sterilized containers until used. Autoclaves also require periodic spore destruction tests, and the results must be logged and verified through an independent lab. The manufacturers' directions for use of the autoclaves should be on file at the premises, and all instruments and supplies are supposed to be stored in clean dry cabinets.