COVID-19 Safety Plan

What to expect at the studio for the “new normal” with Covid-19 safety precautions and protocols. These are some of the steps we are taking at Little Bird Tattoo for your safety and ours. Cleanliness has always been held at a very high standard at our studio. Cross Contamination Control and blood-borne pathogen control in my tattooing and shop practices has always been my top priority. I use a wide array of Personal Protective equipment in my daily tattooing process. Including: Nitrile gloves, procedural masks, disposable aprons, and eye protection, as well as single use sterile items and wide array of barrier control items. Many of these practices apply to Covid-19 control, and other viral pathogen control. We use a high-level disinfectant, decontaminant cleaner called CaviCide in our normal post tattoo procedure cleaning, as well as in public areas and high touch areas of the studio. A hand sanitizer station is at the front entrance for my clients use upon entering the studio. Face masks are the “new normal” for clients and artists, and are now mandatory during tattooing practices. Little Bird Tattoo is a private studio, so only one client is in the shop at a time. We have no walk-in tattooing. The shop is thoroughly cleaned before and after client appointments. We will contact you before your appointment to discuss shop safety, protocols, to discuss your health and well being, and to address any questions or concerns you may have.

Here are some of the safety measures and studio protocols we have in place.

Do Not Enter The Studio If
Anyone who has, symptoms of Covid-19 in the last 10 days. Symptoms include:
Cold Or Flu like symptoms, fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, headache, new muscle aches, runny nose, fatigue.
Anyone that has travelled outside of Canada in the Past 14 days
Anyone directed by Public Health to Self-Isolate.
If anyone in your household has symptoms of Covid-19.
If you have been in contact with someone with Covid-19 symptoms.

The B.C. Covid-19 symptom self-assessment tool can be found online at bc.thrive.health

Little Bird Tattoo is a private studio. Sorry no walk-in tattoos. I am by appointment only. I am the only tattoo artist at the studio. I have no other staff. I will only allow one client in the studio at a time

To avoid an overlap of clients in the studio at one time, I will ask that you wait until your appointment time before entering the shop. I will call or text you when the shop is ready for you.

Clients must now come to their appointments alone. Sorry no friends or family. This will allow me to control the number of people in the shop at one time, and limits the clients and studio to potential exposure.

There is a touchless hand sanitizer station at the front entrance of the studio. I now require clients to use the hand sanitizer, or wash their hands upon entering the studio, after eating or drinking, using the washroom, and before they leave the shop.

Sorry no handshakes or unnecessary physical contact, Please use non-contact greeting methods.

Wearing a face mask in now the “New Normal” in the tattoo industry, and it is mandatory during tattooing practices. Please bring a face mask for your appointment. If you can not obtain a mask one will be provided for you.

Below is a list of Covid-19 studio Safety Plan and Protocols. There is an industry wide provincial requirement to post a copy of these by order of the Provincial Health Officer.

Covid-19 Safety Plan and Studio Protocols for Little Bird Tattoo

The health and safety of our clients has always been our highest priority at Little Bird Tattoo. Our studio has always practiced the highest standards in cross-contamination control and blood-borne pathogen control. We utilize personal protective equipment in our daily tattooing practices. Including Nitrile gloves, procedural masks, disposable aprons, disposable sleeve protectors, and eye protection, as well as a wide array of barrier control items and single use sterile items in our aseptic technique for our daily tattooing protocols and practices. These existing safety procedures and protocols in our studio can be applied to Covid-19 cross contamination and viral pathogen prevention control. The Following are some of the normal studio practices and some new measures we will be implementing to ensure the utmost safety of our clientele.

Social Distance Measures

Little Bird Tattoo is a private studio. I am the only tattoo artist. I generally only tattoo one client a day. I have no employees.
My plan for occupancy limits is one client at a time in the studio.
I will ask my client to wait until their appointment time before entering the shop. I will call or text them when the shop has been properly cleaned and prepared for them; and then invite them to enter.
We are a, by appointment only shop. I do not do walk-in tattoos.
I will schedule extra time between clients to properly clean, and disinfect before allowing my new client to enter the studio.
The entrance waiting area is separate from the tattoo station.
The entrance door will be clearly signed as a by appointment only studio, clients will be encouraged to email me opposed to coming into the shop, as we are by appointment only.
If my client would like or is comfortable with the door being locked while they are in the studio, we can offer that, so no one else can enter while my client is in the studio.
Sorry no friends and family, clients must come to their appointment alone.
If people enter without an appointment, I will politely ask them to leave and email me to set up an appointment at a later date.
Sorry no handshaking, non-contact greeting methods will be used and encouraged.
Social distance will be adhered to where ever possible in the studio.

Engineering Controls, Managing the Workplace

Clients will be provided an area to store personal items away from service area in a sanitized location. Clients will be required to take their belongings with them they leave.
Door signage will be posted stating: Covid-19 questions, asking if customer has travelled outside of country, has been in close contact with a confirmed or probable case of Covid-19, has any symptoms, if so, do not enter.
A touchless hand sanitizer is located at the front entrance for clients to use as they enter.
The washrooms soap and paper towel dispensers are also touchless.
The handwash sink is touchless, as are the soap, and paper towel dispensers there as well.
We have a single entrance exit door at the studio.
Entrance area is clearly bordered by an entrance rug. Client will be asked to wait there until tattoo station is ready for them.
All magazines and portfolio’s have been removed from the studio.
Product deliveries will be asked to leave boxes in the waiting area, generally deliveries arrive before I have clientele in the shop. If clients are there when a delivery arrives I will ensure social distancing, and disinfect door handles after they leave.
Payment, point of sale unit and counter space will be disinfected after each customer use, and I will practice proper hand washing procedures after customer payment.
I have posted Covid-19 protocol signage in the shop, and at the entrance door.
I have posted Covid-19 policies and protocols on website and social media
I will email clients before their appointment to apprise them of our policies, protocols, what to expect at the shop, and what is required of them.

Administrative Controls

I will only go to work if I am in good health and symptom free.
I will ensure my client is in good health upon booking their appointment. I will question them if they have any covid-19 symptoms, or suspected symptoms in the past 10 days, or has anyone in their house hold that has had symptoms, or has been around anyone with symptoms. If so they must cancel their appointment, and do not enter the studio.
I will remind my client of this policy before their appointment date, and the morning of their appointment.
If the client has been directed to self-isolate from a public health official, they will not be permitted to enter the studio.
Anyone who has travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 Days is not permitted in the studio.
Food and drink are not permitted at the workstation.
Revised client consent forms. They will affirm the client does not have any Covid-19 symptoms, and the form will have their contact information.
Clients are asked to follow up with us if they have questions or concerns.
My shop is well ventilated with an air exchanger system.
Client must use hand sanitizer or wash hands upon entering the studio, after eating, or drinking, after using the washroom, and before they leave the shop.
I will practice proper hygiene, diligent hand washing practices, before and after any procedures or surface contact situations.
Wearing a face mask is now the “new normal” in the tattooing industry, and will be mandatory for clients and tattoo artist during tattooing practices. Client will be made aware of this before appointment.
Clients are asked to bring a face mask for their appointment. If they can not obtain a mask, one will be provided for them.
Signage is posted in the studio on proper hand hygiene.
Signage is posted in the studio on how to use a face mask, and how to properly put on and remove a mask without cross contaminating it.
We use a high-level disinfectant, decontaminant cleaner called CaviCide in our normal post tattoo procedures cleaning.
We also use CaviCide in public areas and high touch areas of the shop, and disinfect after every client to ensure a very clean environment.
In our tattooing procedures a wide array of barrier control items and single use sterile items are used to prevent cross contamination, and blood-borne pathogen control.
I will maintain a daily cleaning journal.

Personal Protective Equipment

Face masks are now mandatory during tattooing procedures for both client and artist.
Personal Protective equipment for artist will consist of: Nitrile gloves, disposable apron, disposable sleeve protector, disposable procedural face mask, and eye protection.
I will use appropriate standards and removal protocols for removing and disposing of P.P.E.