What is the best description of universal precautions in a daily salon setting?

• A. Treating all bodily fluids as potentially infectious; use PPE, proper hand hygiene, and safe disposal.
• B. Wearing gloves at all times.
• C. Only using universal precautions for known infections.
• D. Disinfecting with bleach after every client.

Answer: (A)

Universal precautions mean you treat all bodily fluids as if they could be infectious and protect yourself and clients with the right barriers, hygiene, and disposal practices. In a salon, this translates to using appropriate PPE when there’s potential contact with blood or contaminated materials, washing hands thoroughly before and after each client, changing gloves between tasks or clients, and disposing of contaminated waste properly. It also includes cleaning and disinfecting work surfaces and tools between clients to prevent any cross-contamination. The goal is to apply the same level of protection every time, regardless of whether you know a client’s infection status.

Wearing gloves all the time isn’t the point and isn’t always necessary; gloves are one part of the protection, not a substitute for hand hygiene. Universal precautions aren’t limited to known infections, since you don’t know who might be contagious. Disinfecting with bleach after every client is a good practice, but universal precautions encompass the broader approach of PPE use, hand hygiene, and safe disposal to minimize exposure in all routine procedures.