The 19 things an inspector or licensing officer will actually ask about in a nail salon. Print it, walk your salon, and see where you stand — free, no email required.
This checklist is drawn from the statutory duties that apply to nail salons and self-employed nail technicians in England & Wales. Every item lists the legal driver — and where an item reflects a recognised standard or accepted practice rather than the letter of the law, it says so. Tick what you can evidence on paper: if you can't show the document or record, an inspector treats it as not done.
Requirements vary by council — some license nail bars, others don't. Check with yours and keep the paperwork. Local Government (Misc. Provisions) Act 1982 / local acts & byelaws
Current certificate displayed or accessible if you employ anyone — including techs renting a desk under your direction. Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969
In date, and covering the treatments you actually offer — check enhancements and e-file work are listed. Not a legal requirement in itself, but usually required by landlords, insurers or your licence conditions.
Legally required in writing once you reach 5 employees; below that you still need a policy, just not on paper. Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s.2(3)
A full written record is now required for virtually all premises, reviewed whenever there's reason to think it's no longer valid — a refit, new equipment, an incident. An annual review is good practice rather than a statutory interval. Fire Safety Order 2005, art. 9 (as amended by the Building Safety Act 2022)
Suitable extinguishers are the legal duty; 12-monthly servicing is the British Standard insurers and fire officers expect — and you're storing flammables (acetone, IPA), so this gets looked at. RRFSO 2005 art. 13 / BS 5306-3 (standard)
Weekly testing and a log are British Standard practice rather than words in the Fire Safety Order — but an alarm with no test record is a finding waiting to happen. RRFSO 2005 art. 11 / BS 5839-1 (standard)
Liquid & powder monomers, gel systems, acetone, adhesives, filing dust — assessed by product and kept under review: revisit when your product line-up changes (an annual check is good practice, not a statutory interval). COSHH Regulations 2002, reg 6
Vapour and dust controlled at the desk — downdraft tables or extraction where the work justifies it, filters changed on schedule. COSHH 2002, regs 7 & 9
Your supplier must provide an SDS for hazardous products; keep the current ones to hand because they underpin your COSHH assessments — and inspectors ask to see them. Assimilated Reg. (EC) 1907/2006 (REACH), art. 31
Acetone and IPA in sensible quantities, lids on, away from ignition sources and sunlight. DSEAR 2002
Ventilation should be your first line of defence — but if you rely on tight-fitting dust masks (e.g. FFP2/FFP3 for filing) as a COSHH control, each wearer must be face-fit tested for that model. COSHH 2002, reg 7 / HSE INDG479 (guidance)
The legal duty is safe maintenance — lamps, e-files, sterilisers and heaters covered by user checks, inspection and risk-based testing, with a record; fixed wiring inspected at suitable intervals (5 years is the usual commercial benchmark). Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 / BS 7671
A clean-and-disinfect routine between clients, with single-use files and buffers actually binned after use. Often a written procedure under your local licence conditions or salon policy rather than a single national law. Local licensing conditions / infection-control good practice
A written routine for accidental nicks and e-file injuries — first aid, disinfection, and recording the incident.
Bulbs and timers working, e-file bits in good condition and replaced when worn. PUWER 1998
Where your COSHH assessment flags a risk: recorded hand and forearm skin checks (dermatitis is the beauty industry's biggest cause of work-related ill health) and asking after respiratory symptoms where acrylic dusts and monomer vapours are in use. COSHH 2002, reg 11
Product-system training and qualifications recorded per technician — insurers and licensing officers both ask.
Stocked kit, appointed person, GDPR-compliant accident records — and know that diagnosed occupational dermatitis or asthma is reportable. First-Aid Regulations 1981 / RIDDOR 2013
Most salons have a handful of open items on a list like this — usually the written records rather than the practice itself. AB SiteSafe specialises in nail and beauty premises: bespoke COSHH assessments built from your actual product list, risk assessments and the records behind every box above — from £75, 48-hour turnaround, and a real consultant you can phone.
Get a free 15-minute review COSHH for nail technicians