HABIC issues tips to members on procedures for reopening

While the current Covid-19 restrictions in Ireland are expected to remain in place for another number of weeks, the Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation (HABIC) has given members some guidance on what issues they need to consider before reopening.

The Irish Government is meeting today (Friday, 1 May) to sign off on the exit plan from the lockdown, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar calling it a “road map to reopen Ireland”. The changes to the current restrictions will be made on a phased basis, every two to four weeks, and will not happen as fast as the restrictions were originally put in place, he said.

It’s thought that following the initial phase, early phase stage one and early phase stage two, hair salons will reopen in the middle phase, but only where protective equipment is in place.

HABIC has issued guidelines to its members on what to consider as they prepare to eventually reopen. It stressed that the industry will not be going back to how it used to do things; it will require new standard operating procedures (SOPs), staff training and co-operation; financial decisions will need to be taken around these new procedures; and clients will have new needs, which salon owners and employees will have to understand and address successfully.

Meanwhile, the Irish Hairdressing Council has warned that the industry, which it says is worth approximately €2bn to the Irish economy, is facing the very real threat of an unprecedented number of salon closures unless the Government takes urgent action now.
Measures it is seeking include a reduction or holiday in local council rates; reduction in insurance costs for salons currently closed due to the crisis; and more clarity from the Government and public health authorities with regards to safe return to work practices for industry members and their clients.

Council president and business owner Sean Taaffe recently wrote to Health Minster Simon Harris asking about the the issue of PPE, noting that the organisation believes it’s the NSAI or the HSE that has the responsibility of deciding on the appropriate PPE equipment for hairdressers returning to work.
He also said that given the size of the industry, a failure on the Government’s part to support it will negatively affect the Irish economy and ensure that the black market soars.

The Irish Hairdressers Federation (IHF) echoes this request for Government guidance about the criteria it must meet to safely reopen. President David Campbell said that hairdressing post Covid-19 will be a very different world as the industry will be expected to implement social distancing and use PPE equipment.

He maintains that putting all these measures in place will mean fewer people allowed in salons at any one time and staff working longer hours to meet the expected demand.