1.5 Salon Physical & Operational Requirements (Minn. R. 2105.0360 and 2105.0370)

1. Why These Rules Matter

The State exam's Practice Requirements area (45% of scored items) begins with III(a) salon physical requirements (Minn. R. 2105.0360) and III(b) salon operational requirements (Minn. R. 2105.0370). Inspectors check these items on every visit. They also show up in Written Practical scenarios, for example where an esthetician should wash tools or how a new treatment room must be set up.

2. Physical Requirements (Minn. R. 2105.0360)

Signage (subp. 1). A salon in commercial space displays its licensed name at the primary entrance. A salon in a private residence displays it at the driveway entrance. If a local ordinance or covenant prohibits the sign, the salon keeps written confirmation, no more than three years old, from the official who enforces it, or a copy of the covenant.

Codes (subp. 1a). Salons must meet building, fire and zoning codes as determined by local officials and the state fire marshal.

Walls, ceilings and fixtures (subp. 3). Walls, ceilings, ceiling fans, light fixtures and vents must be free of dust and dirt and in good repair.

Floors (subp. 4). Floors must be clean and free of hair, nails, skin, wax, liquids and debris at all times, and free of cracks, holes or tears. Carpet is not acceptable in work areas unless the salon's most recent licensure application was filed before January 1, 2017.

Electricity (subp. 5). Wiring must meet Minn. Stat. 326B.35, and equipment use must follow the State Fire Code:

• An outlet may have no more than two appliances or items plugged in unless a UL-listed power strip is used.
• A power strip must have a circuit breaker and be plugged into an outlet, never into another power strip.
• An extension cord must be plugged into an outlet, never another cord, and used only for portable appliances as the appliance directions allow.

For an esthetician, this covers steamers, towel warmers, wax heaters, magnifying lamps and rotary brushes. Plugging three of them into one duplex outlet without a compliant power strip is a violation.

Designated sinks and disinfecting area (subp. 6).

• Each salon has at least one designated sink for handwashing and for cleaning and disinfecting tools.
• It may not be a restroom sink, water fountain, mop sink or pedicure tub. A shampoo bowl qualifies only in a one-practitioner salon.
• Each designated sink needs hot and cold running potable water plumbed in, liquid or foam soap, single-service paper or cloth towels, a towel receptacle, and enough size to wash the salon's tools.
• At least one designated sink must be immediately adjacent to a disinfecting area large enough for the wet disinfectant containers.
• All licensees need continuous access to a designated sink and disinfecting area inside the licensed salon.
• Each work area needs a sink or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol, in a wall-mounted dispenser or kept visible at all times.

Restrooms (subp. 6a). A restroom must be available in the salon or in an adjacent common area. It needs a plumbed sink with hot and cold water, a toilet, liquid or foam soap, single-service towels or a hot-air dryer, and a clean waste receptacle emptied daily. Hazardous cleaning agents, chemicals and medications kept there must be in locked cabinets not accessible to the public.

Ventilation (subp. 7). Ventilation must meet building codes, local ordinances and state and federal OSHA requirements. If there is no exhaust system, the HVAC thermostat fan switch must always be on during business hours. Minnesota does not require every treatment room to vent directly outdoors. Answer choices that claim it does are describing another state's rule.

Furniture and fixtures (subp. 8). Furniture and fixtures in a work area have washable coverings or finishes and are clean and in good repair. Each work area has a clean waste receptacle emptied daily. Each salon has at least one readily accessible fire extinguisher, maintained annually under the State Fire Code, and every practitioner must be shown where it is and how to use it.

Work areas. A separate work area exists when it is partitioned by walls at least 6 feet high with doorways less than 5 feet wide (Minn. R. 2105.0010, subp. 14). Many private facial rooms meet this definition, so each needs its own sink or hand sanitizer and waste receptacle.

3. Operational Requirements (Minn. R. 2105.0370)

A salon must continuously meet these requirements:

What an esthetician's SDS binder should cover. Products with hazardous chemicals include disinfectant concentrates, acetone-based removers, alcohol, peel solutions, lash adhesives containing cyanoacrylate, and aerosol sprays. The 12-month training is the salon's duty, but the practitioner is the one who must know where the SDS are and what the PPE and spill steps are.

4. Putting It Together: A Room-by-Room Check

Scenario: A new two-room skin care studio has one hand sink, in the restroom, and uses the kitchenette sink to wash extractors. Neither sink meets the rule: a restroom sink cannot be the designated sink, and the tool sink must be a designated sink adjacent to a disinfecting area. The owner needs a compliant designated sink plus a disinfecting area, and a sink or 60% alcohol sanitizer in each work area.