Meet your personal services regulatory duties

A. Dry-cleaning solvent controls

If you operate a dry-cleaning machine that uses perchloroethylene (perc) or other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), you need a Part B environmental permit from your local authority in England and Wales under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. In Scotland, a Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) permit from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) applies. In Northern Ireland, a PPC permit from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) applies.

The Part B permit controls emissions of solvent vapour to air. You must also comply with COSHH in relation to operator and staff exposure to perchloroethylene — including workplace exposure limit monitoring, local exhaust ventilation, health surveillance and training. HSE guidance note EH40 sets the workplace exposure limit for perc at 20 ppm (8-hour TWA).

B. Skin-piercing and special-procedures registration

If your business carries out tattooing, semi-permanent make-up, cosmetic piercing, electrolysis or acupuncture, you must register with the local authority before you begin operating. In England, registration is under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, Part VIII (sections 14–17). The local authority registers both the premises and the individual practitioner. In Wales, the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 Part 4 makes provision for a mandatory licensing scheme for 'special procedures' (tattooing, piercing, acupuncture, electrolysis and semi-permanent make-up) — check with your local authority whether these provisions are in force in your area. Until commencement, registration in Wales continues under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 where the local authority has adopted Part VIII, enforced by local authorities. In Scotland, the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 requires a licence from the local authority for skin-piercing and tattooing. In Northern Ireland, check with your local council whether registration or byelaws apply to skin-piercing and tattooing.

Registration or licensing conditions typically cover hygiene standards, sterilisation of equipment, use of single-use needles, record-keeping (client consent, aftercare advice) and age restrictions. Some local authorities carry out periodic inspections. If you operate a mobile service (for example, visiting clients at home), you still need to register with the relevant local authority for each area in which you operate.

C. Special treatment licence

In some areas, premises offering beauty treatments, massage, saunas, sunbeds or other 'special treatments' need a licence from the local authority. This requirement is not universal — it depends on whether the local authority has adopted the relevant local legislation.

In London, the London Local Authorities Act 1991 (section 6 and Schedule 2) requires a special treatment licence for establishments offering massage, manicure, acupuncture, tattooing, cosmetic piercing, sunbeds, saunas and other treatments. Outside London, some local authorities have adopted similar powers under local acts or byelaws. Not all local authorities operate a special treatment licensing scheme.

Check with your local authority whether a special treatment licence is required in your area before you open. If it is required, the licence typically covers premises standards, hygiene, staff qualifications, insurance, and display of the licence.

D. Legionella risk management

If your premises include a spa pool, hot tub, whirlpool bath, cooling tower, or any other water system that stores or distributes water at temperatures between 20°C and 45°C with the potential to create aerosol, you must control the risk of legionella bacteria. HSE's Approved Code of Practice L8 (Legionnaires' disease: the control of legionella bacteria in water systems) and the supporting technical guidance HSG274 apply throughout the United Kingdom.

You must carry out a legionella risk assessment, appoint a 'responsible person' with day-to-day control, implement a written control scheme covering temperature management, water treatment, cleaning and disinfection, and keep records. Spa pools require specific microbiological monitoring (including regular testing for legionella) and must follow the PWTAG (Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group) guidance or equivalent. HSE enforces in Great Britain; HSENI enforces in Northern Ireland.

Funeral directors

Funeral directing is covered by the universal spine duties — workplace health and safety (including COSHH for embalming fluids), fire safety, employers' liability insurance, equality and data protection. There is currently no mandatory national licensing requirement for funeral directors in England and Wales. The Scottish Government has introduced the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 which makes provision for a licensing scheme for funeral directors in Scotland, though implementing regulations have not yet been brought into force. The UK Government has also consulted on regulation of the funeral sector in England and Wales.