Hairdressing sector urgently seeks UK reopening guidance

A UK trade association for hair and beauty salon owners has written to business secretary Alok Sharma, calling for an urgent update on reopening rules.

The sector, which closed sites in March for the Covid-19 lockdown, has been working towards reopening from July 4 in line with government guidelines.

However, businesses are waiting for formal guidance to be published regarding close proximity services.

Hilary Hall, chief executive of the National Hair & Beauty Federation, said in a letter to Sharma: “Businesses need adequate time, ideally two weeks, to redesign their premises, train staff, ensure they have suitable PPE, communicate with clients regarding operational changes, implement adequate hygiene standards, and come to terms with the changes necessary to ensure the safety of themselves and their clients.”

Hall said the organisation she leads has been a significant contributor to the draft guidelines on ‘Working Safely Guidance – Close Contact Services including Hair and Beauty’.

A number of London companies today told the Evening Standard of their frustration at the lack of reopening details.

Paul Simbler, co-founder of Hob Salons which has 25 sites, said: “We are all desperately waiting for the announcement and are hoping we get at least a couple of weeks notice.”

Simbler added that the industry wants to know if the two-metre social distancing rule will be halved to one-metre: “At the moment with a two-metre limit we will only be able to use every other section [in salons].”