BodySafe is Toronto Public Health’s safety program that inspects personal service settings (PSS).
All health units in Ontario must conduct an annual health inspection and follow up on complaints associated with PSS. This process ensures that owners and operators operate their business in accordance with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Guide to Infection Prevention and Control in Personal Services Settings (PDF).
The purpose of the BodySafe program is to ensure that PSS owners/operators use safe practices to prevent the spread of infections, such as:
Personal service settings are businesses that provide the following services:
Under Municipal Code 545, Licensing By-Law, all establishments offering personal services will be required to get a PSS licence and post their inspection notices at or near the entrance of the business, so that it is clearly visible to the public.
There are two types of inspection results that will be posted on BodySafe web pages:
An inspection is conducted once a year at a minimum by a Public Health Inspector.
A re-inspection is conducted if there are any infractions identified during the original health inspection. Re-inspections will occur within 48 hours if a service or establishment is not closed.
The establishment level inspection result provides the overall outcome of the inspection.
Inspection Report | Notice | Infraction Examples |
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Pass
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Conditional Pass
Significant infractions:
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Service(s) Closed
Crucial infractions:
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Establishment Closed
Crucial infractions:
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Each establishment has at least one personal service they provide to the public, such as hairstyling. In many cases, one establishment can provide several different types of services, such as hairstyling and ear piercing. An establishment that provides more than one service is called a multi-service establishment. There are four inspection results that can occur at the service level.
Inspection Result | Example |
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Satisfactory
No infractions are identified during the inspection or re-inspection |
Inspected the hair and ear piercing services and both services had no infractions. |
Not satisfactory
One or more infractions were identified during the inspection or re-inspection. |
Inspected the hair and ear piercing services. Hair services had no infractions, but the ear piercing device was not being cleaned properly. |
In progress
An inspection of a service was attempted but could not be completed. |
The hair service was inspected but the person who provides ear piercing was not available that day for an inspection. The Inspector will need to return to complete the ear piercing inspection. |
Service closure
A service was ordered to close until infractions associated with that service are all corrected. |
The ear piercing service was closed because there was no disinfectant to disinfect the device at the establishment. |
Each PSS establishment is categorized into three risk levels depending on the type of services that are provided in the establishment. All establishments are inspected when there is a complaint, regardless of risk level.
Establishment Risk Level | Minimum Number of Inspections per Year | Risk Assessment Criteria |
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Critical | Once per year and Complaint basis | A service that uses any tool or item that penetrates the skin (used for invasive procedures). Includes the following services:
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Semi-Critical | Once per year and Complaint basis | A service that uses any tool or item that may come into contact with non intact skin or mucous membranes, but is not intended to penetrate them. Includes the following services:
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Non-Critical | Complaint basis only | A service that uses any tool or item that may come into contact with intact skin. Includes the following services:
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If you are considering opening a PSS in your home, ensure you have approval from Zoning before you request your health inspection or apply for a PSS Licence. You can submit an application through Zoning for a fee, to confirm the use of your property for compliance with Zoning By-Laws.
Toronto Public Health is offering two Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) courses for personal services settings (PSS) owners/operators. In these courses, owners/operators will learn about current IPAC practices and how to protect their clients and themselves from infections.
There are two courses available:
You will receive a Certificate of Attendance at the end of each course. Visit Toronto Public Health’s online booking for more details and to register for a course.
For a copy of this information in the following languages, please email BodySafe@toronto.ca
Special events (including conventions, expos, shows, and fairs) in the City of Toronto that offer personal services on-site must comply with infection prevention & control guidelines and with all applicable sections of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Best Practices for Personal Services Settings (PSS) document (January 2009), under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O., 1990.