Torbay Council is encouraging anyone who is considering a new tattoo to th'ink' before choosing a tattooist.

There are a variety of health risks associated with tattooing and other practices such as body piercing. These include skin infections and the transmission of blood-borne viruses such as Hepatitis C and HIV. As a result it is important to choose a practitioner who can demonstrate that they run safe and hygienic premises.

Environmental Health Officers from Torbay Council will be visiting practitioners throughout the bay and auditing their premises using a Tattooing and Body Piercing Toolkit. The toolkit has been produced by the Tattoo and Piercing Industry Union, Public Health England, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Health and Safety Laboratory.

Premises who receive a score of 75% and above will be deemed as ‘compliant’. Premises falling short of the standard will either receive support by Environmental Health Officers to improve or enforcement action, depending on the circumstances. The results of the inspections will be placed on the Torbay Council website at www.torbay.gov.uk/index/tattootoolkit.

Torbay Council's Executive Lead for Safer Communities, Councillor Robert Excell, said: “We would urge anyone who is currently considering getting a tattoo just to think about a few things before deciding on a tattooist. When getting a tattoo you are literally putting your health in someone else’s hands so choosing the right person is very important.

“A good practitioner will put safety and hygiene right up there as a priority with their art and they should be able to easily demonstrate that to their customers. A competent practitioner will also take steps to ensure that their customers are safe after leaving their premises, which will include providing good quality aftercare advice."

Premises should be able to demonstrate through their policies, procedures and actions that their business is safe, hygienic and well managed. This should include issues like: infection control, the safe use and disposal of sharps, first aid following a blood or body fluid exposure, cleaning up blood or body fluid spills, waste handling, consent, aftercare and dealing with underage requests (it is a criminal offence to tattoo anyone under 18 unless it’s for a medical reason).

Anyone wishing to view the Tattooing and Body Piercing Guidance can find it online at www.cieh.org/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=47704. The toolkit contains a number of aftercare factsheets and these are also available on the Torbay Council website at www.torbay.gov.uk/index/tattootoolkit.

Anyone wishing to view the Tattooing and Body Piercing Guidance can find it online at www.cieh.org/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=47704. The toolkit contains a number of aftercare factsheets and these are also available on the Torbay Council website at www.torbay.gov.uk/index/tattootoolkit.