Industry wants Alberta government to license nail technicians

People in the beauty industry say they want nail technicians and estheticians to be licensed before they can perform manicures, pedicures and other spa services.

Unlike hairstylists, Alberta does not require nail technicians to have any formal training in technique or infection control.

AnaliaRubie, director of MC College in Edmonton, which offers courses on hairstyling and esthetics, said people in the industry want that to change.

"They want that kind of recognition, the same thing that the stylists have as well," said Rubie.

• Nail salons not checked for years under Alberta's inspection system

"Because there's really no reason why they shouldn't be [licensed]. They're using implements, they're using tools, the same as a stylist would...It's really, actually, quite frustrating."

On Tuesday, CBC News revealed some Edmonton salons have gone without a health inspection for years.

Reports obtained through a freedom of information request show health inspectors commonly encounter salons using dirty clippers, cuticle nippers and emery files on clients and not properly cleaning and disinfecting tools.

Inspectors end up instructing owners and staff on proper infection control procedures.

Fiona Chambers, executive director of the Beauty Council of Western Canada, in Langley, B.C., said she hears complaints from the organization's members about salons that don't follow the rules and they want the government to step in.

"Everybody wants higher standards," she said. "They want to be certified, they want to maintain these standards, they want to reduce the spread of bacteria, infections and any sort of diseases like HIV and hepatitis B and C."

In British Columbia, the certification system was deregulated in 2003, meaning estheticians and nail technicians there can also work without a licence.

Complicating matters is the boom in nail salons over the past decade, particularly outlets where customers can drop in without an appointment and get a pedicure for $35.

Industry interest needed for province to act

Chambers saidmany of those salons cycle clients in and out, and may not make the time between clients to clean tools and pedicure baths.

"Different sterilization and sanitation procedures are being skipped ... in order to bring in more customers, make more money and have the services pushed through a lot faster," she said.

Alberta Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said in an interview with CBC News in June that she would ask Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt about the licensing and training issue.

The government says it will look at certification if there is enough demand from the industry.

A spokesperson for Schmidt said Alberta estheticians and nail technicians were last interested in certification in 1997 but thegovernment never received a formal application.

Estheticians and nail technicians can take online courses on infection prevention and control through the BeautySafe program offered by the Beauty Council of Western Canada, Chambers said.