Infection prevention in personal services settings: Evidence, gaps and the way forward

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infection Prevention and Control
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Personal services, including aesthetic treatments, pose potential health risks to clients and workers.
• There is limited evidence on specific infection risks and their magnitude within the personal services industry.
• Current guidance and regulations for personal services settings vary significantly across Canadian provinces and territories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review literature on infection risks in personal services.
• To assess current provincial and territorial guidance and regulations.
• To identify key risk mitigation strategies, gaps, and challenges.

Main Methods:

• A national expert working group was consulted.
• A narrative literature review was conducted to synthesize relevant findings.
• An environmental scan of existing guidelines and legislation was performed.

Main Results:

• Inadequate worker training and non-compliance with infection prevention principles increase infection risk.
• Provincial/territorial guidelines exist but often lack depth and may not be fully applicable from healthcare settings.
• Significant gaps remain in advancing infection prevention guidance and regulatory frameworks for personal services.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive review highlights a lack of high-quality evidence for infection prevention guidance in personal services.
• Further research and increased awareness of public health risks are necessary.
• Findings can inform future research and the development of improved infection prevention and control guidelines.