German Salons Reopen Under Strict Rules: Read The Guidelines Here

German Salons Reopen Under Strict Guidelines—Read Them Below!

After six weeks of closure, Germany’s 80,000+ salons were allowed to reopen May 4—but under strict regulations from the country’s government. Rules include NO dry haircuts and data collection for contact tracing—keep scrolling to read them all.

For context, Germany has recorded more than 165,000 coronavirus cases and 6,866 deaths, according to CNN. If a hairdresser violates any of the country’s safety measures, they may be subject to a €500 fine (or about $547).

Appointments and Scheduling

• Appointments must be made online or by phone.

• Waiting areas must be kept clear and must allow for a distance of 1.5 meters (or about 5 feet) between people.

• When making appointments, the client and hairdresser must have a thorough consultation by phone to reduce in-person communication as much as possible.

• Salon clients must be made aware of the salon’s protective measures at the time of appointment scheduling.

• If possible, salons should document each client’s first and last name, address and date and time of entering and leaving the salon. The German government says this information could be used for contact tracing in the event of an infection. Germany has provided a sample data sheet for salons to use that includes the following:
  • Name, address and phone number
  • Signature asserting that the client does not have COVID-19 symptoms and that the client has not been quarantined for medical reasons.
  • Language explaining their information may be shared with German health authorities to protect employees and others with contract tracing, and that the data will be deleted or destroyed when it is no longer necessary.

General Health and Safety

• Anyone with symptoms of acute respiratory illness or fever may not enter the salon.

• Clients may not bring people with them to their appointment unless they absolutely rely on another person for mobility or other reasons.

• Both clients and salon employees must wear a mouth and nose cover (in other words, a face mask). The German guidelines recommend hairdressers wear a medical mask, unless not available—in that case, they may wear a simple mouth and nose cover. Salon owners are responsible for providing masks for their employees.

• No beverage service, magazines or other entertainment amenities are allowed.

Distance Requirements

• Wherever possible, everyone in the salon must maintain a distance of 1.5 meters (or about 5 feet). This does not apply to the duration of the hairdressing service, provided the necessary protective measures are observed.

• Avoid physical contact such as shaking hands or hugging.

• Communication with clients must be kept to a minimum and only with eye contact via the mirror. Direct communication is not permitted.

Service Offerings

• Dry haircuts are not allowed. Each client must have their hair washed prior to any service.

• Services related to the face, such as beard, eyebrow or eyelash services, should not be performed.

• Hair drying should be avoided if possible.

Hygiene and Disinfection

• Salon employees must wash their hands with soap and water on arrival to the salon, between serving customers and before and after breaks.

• Employees must wear disposable gloves when not washing hands.

• Customers must wash or disinfect their hands upon entering the salon.

• Hairdressing chairs must be cleaned with soapy water before they are used by another customer, especially the armrests.

• Only disposable paper neck ruffles should be used, which must be thrown away after each customer.

• A disposable cape over the usual hairdressing cape should be used, again to be thrown away after each customer. The disposable cape must completely cover the client’s body and any possible contact points with the hairdresser.

• Tools must be disinfected after each use.

• Cut hair should be carefully removed—not blown away with a blow dryer, but wiped away or otherwise removed.

Tap HERE to access a downloadable checklist that includes how to properly disinfect before reopening plus a recommended supply list!

Payment Processing

• Avoid taking cash. Try to use cashless payment options as much as possible.

• If you must handle cash, the money must be handed over “using a suitable device or storage space” to avoid direct contact between the employee and client. A protective barrier between the customer and the payment area is suggested.

Salon Operations & Set-Up

• The salon or service rooms must have sufficient fresh air at all times during working hours. The German guidelines define this as a fresh air volume of 100 cubic meters per hour per person.

• Hand washing facilities with running water, soap and disposable towels must be provided near workstations.

• Break rooms or areas must have easy-to-clean surfaces that are cleaned daily.

• Laundry must remain in the salon at the end of the working day, washed in the salon washing machine at 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) with detergent and dried completely.

• Contact points should be reduced and door handles and other high-touch areas must be cleaned regularly.

Considerations For Owners

• Employees must be informed and comprehensively trained on new work processes and requirements caused by COVID-19. However, the guidelines urge this training to be done by phone or video call, and NOT in person.

• If an employee is at increased risk of COVID-19, that person should not return to work.

• You may need to reconsider the structure of your daily operations. For example, you may find splitting your team into shifts to work on opposite days is helpful to maintain distance. Try to avoid any situation where several employees would come closely together—for example, at shift changes or when arriving at work.

• Th salon owner must establish a procedure to clarify suspected cases of illness.

• Parking spaces should be provided for employees to reduce the need for public transportation.

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