Tattoos: greater safety in Europe

Tattoo artists and tattooed individuals will benefit: a voluntary European standard details, for the first time, health and safety requirements for tattooing. Its name: NF EN 17169. France played an active role in its development.

Will the NF EN 17169 standard become tattoo artists' new favorite tattoo? Without presuming that this voluntary standard will be adopted, it is intended to be gradually implemented throughout Europe. It sets harmonized rules across the Old Continent in terms of tattoo hygiene and safety. It must be said that today, every tattoo artist in Europe practices their profession within a national regulatory framework that varies greatly from country to country! While regulations have governed the profession in France since 2008, some countries have no hygiene and safety rules at all.

Every tattoo artist in Europe can now obtain the standard. NF EN 17169 , decide to comply with it, and self-declare compliance. They may also request an independent body to certify that the criteria are effectively met. In any case, anyone considering getting a tattoo can now ask their tattoo artist whether they comply with the criteria set out in this document: the standard will help tattoo artists and tattoo recipients to communicate more effectively.

NF EN 17169: five years of work

The project began in 2014: Germany, at the instigation of DOT (German tattoo artists' association) officials, proposed the creation of a European technical committee to work on a best practices project. Like ten other countries, France joined the project. through an AFNOR commission , led from the outset by a duo representing health authorities and tattoo professionals. Twenty organizations, including the Directorate General for Health, have committed to the initiative.

French regulations on tattooing have been pioneering in Europe and already provide a good framework. However, the European standard will help those working in the field to harmonize hygiene practices. It will also provide a common basis for standardizing hygiene training and improving safety for consumers and tattoo artists alike. , summarizes Danièle Chiambaretto, a pharmacist who worked for the Occitanie Regional Health Agency. We have invested in this project and support it because it will be positive for France and our counterparts in Europe. The French have used their experience to influence the discussions so that the text remains practical and tattoo artist-oriented. Those who comply with it will be able to promote their good practices to their customers and guarantee everyone's safety. , adds Olivier Laizé, spokesperson for SNAT, the national union of tattoo artists.

NF EN 17169: health and safety requirements

The NF EN 17169 standard provides tattoo artists with hygiene requirements and recommendations for their interactions with customers and public authorities. It also provides procedures to follow to ensure optimal protection for customers and anyone present in the work environment. It covers all aspects of tattoo studio operations: the responsibilities of the owner or operator, health training, the layout of the premises and tattoo rooms, waste management, cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization of equipment and premises, etc.

Some of the standard's requirements go beyond the rules currently in place in France. Examples include the requirement for caps to be sterile, the systematic signing of a consent form, and the maintenance of a procedures manual.