Issue link: https://www.ahpindiestylist.com/i/1250436
CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK Protecting ourselves and our clients must be our first priority. In preparing to return to work, we will be bombarded with lots of advice, predictions, and promises. I choose to listen to experts like Leslie Roste of BlueCo Brands (Barbicide), who routinely advises state boards about infection control. Investing in personal protective equipment (PPE) or any partitions/other equipment before we know what is required could be a waste of money and a drain on resources needed elsewhere. Petitions that promise adherence to "rules" often reinforce how little licensed beauty professionals and consumers actually know about infection control. We must earn and maintain the trust of our clients through compliance. We cannot guarantee complete safety when services resume, but we should make every effort to reduce risk to a reasonable level. The liability involved in professional beauty services may never be greater; please read and understand the limitations and exclusions of any insurance coverage. We are not required to reopen when given permission, nor should we feel pressured to serve anyone if it is not safe. Because our industry has earned a reputation for non- compliance, we have even more work to do. We must commit now to ethical salon ownership and meet our obligation to follow health and safety, labor, and tax laws. Our industry and our lives depend on it. We cannot guarantee complete safety when services resume, but we should make every effort to reduce risk to a reasonable level.