By Howard Greninger
A Vigo County ordinance that regulates tattoo and body-piercing businesses may soon be revised to require an inspection as well as a business plan before a county permit is issued.
A “pre-operational inspection” must be conducted by the Vigo County Health Department before construction, conversion or remodeling of an existing business, under a proposed ordinance revision.
“It would allow us to make sure a business has bloodborne pathogen and first-aid training for employees and proof of a contract with an infectious waste removal company,” said Marci DeBoy, environment specialist for the Health Department.
Business plans would be similar to that already required of food establishments, which show a layout of the business and its equipment.
“We are trying to make the ordinance all-inclusive, remove repetition and make it easier to read,” DeBoy said.
The ordinance would categorize businesses as “body art establishments” and several proposed changes would benefit those businesses, DeBoy said.
Changes include a requirement that biohazardous waste be removed every three months, instead of monthly, by a waste removal company. Another change eliminates some training.
“Instead of every person being required to take CPR, it would only be the operator/owner or artist,” DeBoy said.
The revised ordinance also prohibits issuing a permit to out-of-county businesses. A body art establishment that attends an event, such as a festival, away from its business also must pay for and receive a $100 mobile permit at least 14 days prior to the event. No tattoo or body piercing procedures are to be performed prior to a permit being issued, under the proposed revision.
Mike Egy, owner of Body Art Inc. Tattoo and Piercing Emporium in Terre Haute, helped county health officials formulate a county ordinance adopted in 1999.
“The state has recently enacted new rules that are much better than five years ago, but Vigo County has always been at a higher standard,” Egy said.
“I am more concerned with the ‘scratchers’ at the kitchen table that tattoo without sterile equipment or bloodborne pathogen training. We see a lot of that,” he said.
Revisions would enact new fees, reducing a county permit fee to $175 from $250, DeBoy said, but would add a new $200 fee for failure to renew a permit within a 14-day grace period and a new $250 fee for operating without a valid permit.
“I think fines for non-professionals should be extremely high,” Egy said, “and inspections should be made before a business can open. If you are good enough to tattoo, you need to go to professional shop and learn the proper way of doing it.”
The ordinance revisions are scheduled to go before the Vigo County Health Board on April 19 for approval.
Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.
