By Austin Rust-
As outlined in the state’s Responsible RestartOhio plan, personal care services including hair salons, barbershops, day spas, nail salons, and tanning facilities were permitted to reopen last Friday, May 15, under a new set of mandatory guidelines and recommended best practices (as devised by industry professionals) to ensure the safety of their employees and customers.
According to this new set of mandatory guidelines, personal care establishments must ensure a minimum of six feet between employees, ensure a minimum of six feet between customers, and ensure a minimum of six feet between all people within the establishment (with barriers if necessary) in accordance with social distancing recommendations set by the current Stay Safe Ohio Order.
It is noted that social distancing will apply with the exception that the distance between a client and an employee may be less than six feet. Businesses must allow all clients and visitors to wear facial coverings, and they must require all employees to wear facial coverings as work allows.
When checking into work, employees must perform a daily symptom assessment. If an employee shows symptoms, the business must require that employee to stay home. Hygienic practices such as regular hand washing, use of hand sanitizer, disinfection of high-contact surfaces, and disposal of single-use materials between clients are also required for employees. If possible, personal care establishments should close once a week for deep cleaning, according to new recommended best practices, maximize available check-out space, and make use of contactless payment options. All personal care establishments are encouraged to accept guests by appointment only (no walk-ins).
“We’re trained to sanitize and do what we’re supposed to be doing, so that part is not a problem,” said Stephanie McCoy, the owner of Shear Magic Styling Salon in Peebles. “It is just getting the clients into that routine of doing things we need to do to protect them (that is more difficult). It’s different for the clients, and it’s different for us, too. I actually had to rearrange my salon.”
“I’m working in a room in the back – by myself – that we didn’t normally use on a regular basis, so it (almost) feels like I’m working in a new place,” McCoy continued. She explained that both clients and employees wear facial coverings in the salon. Clients have their temperatures taken at the door before they enter, and employees switch to new gloves when working with each client.
Further, McCoy explained that the inside of the salon has been sectioned into six-foot spaces by floor markers and protective shower curtains. Shear Magic Styling Salon now accepts guests by appointment only, and contactless payment or pay-ahead options have been made available. She noted that many clients pay with credit/debit cards or checks, or with cash put in plastic bags.
“We have tape on the floor so that people know when they’re six feet apart, and we put shower curtains up in areas that aren’t six feet apart, where we need to protect our clients,” said McCoy.
“We are booked ahead at least until probably June 1 for some of the stylists – and some other stylists are booked up until July,” McCoy added. “We’ve got all of these differences, so we’re booking two hours at least for color, whereas before we would schedule about an hour. Before, we could put another person in a chair (nearby) while we were doing color, but that has to stop. We’re working longer hours with less people, so it’s taking longer to get clients in the system.”
“Because of all of the extra stuff we’re doing, we’ve got the appointment times more spaced out. That’s why it’s harder for people to get in – because you have got to have more time between the clients to do extra sanitation and cleaning,” she explained. She said that most stylists have added an extra day of work to their weeks, and noted that she plans to work 12-hour days next week.
“I live here, so I’m able to do a little extra. I’m adding those hours just to get my first 100 people through, then I’ll start a normal schedule,” McCoy concluded. She explained that she and Diane, another stylist at Shear Magic Styling Salon, have been hairdressers for nearly 44 years.
At Hometown Tan & Formal in West Union, owners Cindie and Troy Fields planned to reopen on Monday, May 18, with new software allowing clients to schedule their appointments online.
“Clients can still make their appointments by phone, but they can also do it online,” Troy Fields explained. “We’re trying to do everything by appointment-only, whereas we used to take walk-ins and appointments. We’re now trying to keep a limited number of people in the store at one time.”
Mr. Fields explained that other changes within the store include social distancing markers on the floor, a shield protecting employees and customers at the main desk, and the removal of chairs in the lobby area. The sign-in area has been moved away from the main desk to a different area.
“A lot of things are going to change,” Mr. Fields concluded. “We can’t have five or six people coming in to get measured for a tux, or things like that. No walk-ins, and we used to get a lot of walk-ins. I’d say we’ll be busy when we reopen, but I don’t know how busy – it’s hard to say.”