Appropriate waste management is increasingly relevant due to environmental and infectious disease transmission concerns. An anonymous observational cross-sectional study was conducted from 2013-2017 of 262 tattooists and 824 beauticians throughout Poland. Knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and compliance with blood-borne infection controls and correct waste disposal were assessed. Tattooists correctly addressed hazardous waste significantly more often than did beauticians (83.3% vs. 44.8%). Medical waste was collected by a specialist company in 90.1% of tattoo parlors and 63.3%of beauty parlors. Tattooists correctly used and disposed of sharps more frequently than beauticians (93.1% vs. 68.9%); however, 46.4% of beauticians and 12.4% of tattooists discarded waste into municipal trash, including sharps (27.1% and 2.6%, respectively). Incorrect collection and labeling of biological waste present occupational risk to waste disposal personnel. Education and instructional controls could improve health safety in this industry. Biological waste management processes are restrictive for medical services and liberal for beauty services, an industry for which they should also be applied more comprehensively.
Keywords: beauty parlors; disposal of hazardous waste; needle-stick injury; professional infection risk; tattoo parlors.