1.6 Establishment Sanitation, Posting Requirements & Implement Decontamination

1.6 Establishment Sanitation, Posting Requirements & Implement Decontamination

Oklahoma's state practical examination is scored predominantly on infection control, and establishment inspections turn on the same rules. Subchapter 7 of OAC Title 175 is therefore the densest source of examinable state-specific detail in the entire code. Several of its requirements diverge from what generic national textbooks teach.

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1. Board Inspection Authority

OSBCB inspectors are authorized to enter and inspect any licensed establishment during regular business hours. Inspections are unannounced — no advance notice and no warrant is required, because a licensed establishment consents to regulatory inspection as a condition of licensure. The inspector may examine treatment rooms, dispensaries, storage areas, disinfectant containers, and license postings.

Two requirements make inspection outcomes visible to the public rather than private between Board and licensee:

• Board Sanitation and Disinfection Rules shall be posted in each Establishment (OAC 175:10-7-17(b)).
• Current inspection reports shall be posted in a place easily viewed by the public (OAC 175:10-7-17(d)).

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2. Posting and Identification

The carry-a-photo-ID rule catches people out. It is not enough that your license is on the wall — the inspector may ask you personally for identification during the visit.

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3. Disinfectants: Selection, Mixing and Storage

OAC 175:10-7-6 is the controlling rule, and it is unusually prescriptive:

• (a) Disinfectants shall be used only if registered with the EPA for use as a disinfectant to achieve its intended purpose in accordance with the product label. The approved option is an EPA-registered bactericidal, virucidal and fungicidal disinfectant approved for salon, barber or spa settings, used per label dilution ratio and contact time.
• (c) All disinfectants must be mixed as directed on the manufacturer's label.
• (d) All disinfection immersion liquid must be changed daily, or sooner if visibly contaminated.
• (e) All disinfectant containers must be covered at all times.
• (g) A manufacturer's label for the concentrate must be available at all times; if the concentrate bottle is emptied, it must remain available until a new bottle arrives.
• (h) When disinfectant is placed in a secondary container — spray bottle, tub or jar — that container must be labeled to indicate what chemical is inside.
• (j) UV light boxes for sanitation purposes are prohibited.
• (k) Any products banned by the FDA shall not be used for any cosmetology or barbering service.

The UV prohibition

Subsection (j) is categorical and it is a favorite exam item. Ultraviolet cabinets do not achieve disinfection: penetration is poor, shadowed surfaces receive no dose, and organic soil blocks the light entirely. Oklahoma resolves the ambiguity by banning them for sanitation purposes outright. A UV cabinet may function as a dry, closed storage container after proper chemical disinfection, but it never substitutes for that disinfection.

Contact time and application method

For immersion, items must stay completely immersed for the full contact time per manufacturer instructions. For spray, place the clean item on a clean surface and saturate it, ensuring all surfaces stay visibly moist for the full label contact time. For EPA-registered wipes, wipe all surfaces and ensure they remain visibly moist for the full contact time. The recurring theme — visibly moist for the full contact time — is what inspectors watch for.

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4. The Decontamination Sequence and Storage

     STEP 1: CLEAN            STEP 2: DISINFECT           STEP 3: STORE
  +-------------------+    +--------------------+    +--------------------+
  | Remove ALL visible|    | EPA-registered     |    | Clean, COVERED     |
  | debris; wash with |--->| bactericidal +     |--->| container MARKED   |
  | soap and water    |    | virucidal +        |    | "clean" or         |
  | Rinse and dry     |    | fungicidal         |    | "disinfected"      |
  |                   |    | FULL contact time  |    | Dry / closed /     |
  | Disinfectant will |    | Fully immersed or  |    | covered, no fumes  |
  | not penetrate soil|    | visibly moist      |    |                    |
  +-------------------+    +--------------------+    +--------------------+

OAC 175:10-7-6(n): once properly cleaned and disinfected, all multi-use items must be stored in a clean, covered container marked "clean" or "disinfected." The marking is part of the rule, not a best practice. Storing disinfected implements in an open tray, a rolling cart drawer, an apron pocket or a tool belt is a violation.

• (b) To disinfect and minimize corrosion of metal instruments, immerse and wipe thoroughly with an EPA-approved disinfectant, or spray with an approved oil-base disinfectant, and store in a cabinet or closed container free from contamination between services.
• (l) Electrical items with removable guards or parts must have those parts removed, cleaned and disinfected, with all visible debris removed first; the tool housing must also be disinfected; store in a clean place covered by a clean towel.
• Implements and tools that cannot be disinfected must be disposed of after one use (OAC 175:10-7-18(e)).

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5. Hand Hygiene, Gloves and Bleeding Control

OAC 175:10-7-18 governs precautions before and after each patron service, and one clause reverses a common assumption:

• (a) Hands shall be washed and the integrity of the skin carefully examined before and after performing a service. If any abrasion, cut, scratch, open lesion or infection is evident, protective or disposable gloves shall be worn.
• (b) Hands must be washed prior to any service and following eating, smoking or restroom use, with running water and soap, then dried with a disposable towel. "Antibacterial soap is not recommended."
• (c) Styptic pencils and lump alum are prohibited. Liquid or powdered astringent shall be used to check bleeding and shall be applied with separate, clean, sterile gauze or cotton which shall be disposed of immediately after use.
• (d) Any licensee who can reasonably anticipate contact with blood or other potentially infectious material shall use universal precautions and wear protective disposable gloves. Gloves shall not be re-used.

The antibacterial-soap clause is the surprise. Many textbooks and older curricula recommend antibacterial soap; Oklahoma's rule says plain soap and running water, and that antibacterial soap is not recommended. On a state rules question, follow the rule.

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6. Linens, Towels and Facility Standards

OAC 175:10-7-12 is specific enough to be tested directly:

• Clean towels for each patron; clean towels and linens kept in a closed container, cabinet or drawer free from contamination.
• The headrest of the facial chair shall be covered with a clean towel for each patron.
• Linens cannot be re-used and must be laundered prior to use; washed on hot with detergent and dried until "hot to the touch."
• One vented, covered container for soiled linens in each salon, spa and nail salon, and in each individual room used for services and any customer changing area. Containers must be covered and have vented sides to reduce pathogen growth.
• Towel warmers must be disinfected daily. Towels used in a warmer must be washed with detergent and bleach and dried on a hot setting; wet towels must be prepared fresh each day; unused steamed towels must be removed and laundered at day's end; and warmers must be left open overnight to dry completely.

Other facility standards: adequate lighting and ventilation, with rooms ventilated well enough to quickly rid the premises of fumes (OAC 175:10-7-3); sufficient hot and cold water supplied for disinfection and safe conditions in all establishments (OAC 175:10-7-15(a)); creams and semi-solid preparations removed from containers with a spatula; used instruments never placed on the work station or floor.

Exam anchor — Oklahoma establishment rules:

• UV light boxes for sanitation are PROHIBITED
• Immersion solution changed daily; disinfectant containers covered at all times; secondary containers labeled
• Disinfected multi-use items stored in a covered container marked "clean" or "disinfected"
• Antibacterial soap is not recommended; plain soap, running water, disposable towel
• Styptic pencils and lump alum prohibited — liquid or powdered astringent on disposable gauze
• 2" x 2" photo with each posted license; inspection reports posted publicly; photo ID on your person
• Facial chair headrest covered with a clean towel for each patron; towel warmers left open overnight