Who May Perform Sterilisation in a Salon

Until 2 August 2026 anyone who could operate an autoclave could sterilise in a salon. Since 3 August the new sanitary regulation sets requirements for the person, not only for the equipment and the procedure.

For a single-person salon where the owner sterilises herself, this is one of the most serious - and most expensive - changes in the whole regulation.

What the rule requires

• the professional title of medical sterilisation technician, or
• at least secondary education plus a completed qualification course in sterilisation and disinfection technology.

These are alternatives, not cumulative requirements. For most nail technicians the second path is the realistic one.

What the rule does not require (but is being sold)

Autoclave training from your distributor is not a qualification course. An operating briefing - how to load, which cycle to run, how to read the result - is useful and often needed for warranty, but it does not satisfy the regulation. The rule speaks of a qualification course in sterilisation and disinfection technology: a vocational qualification, not product training.

If someone sells you a "certificate compliant with the new regulation" after a two-hour webinar, ask for the qualification course curriculum.

You have two years - and that is good news

Requirements for staff qualifications and sterilisation equipment carry a two-year transitional period. Counting from 3 August 2026, the deadline falls in August 2028.

That is plenty of time, provided you use it. Two scenarios that usually end badly:

• "I will manage in the final year" - qualification courses have limited places, and the whole industry will be adjusting in the same window. Queues will form in 2028, not 2026.
• "It does not apply to me, I outsource" - see below, because a different set of duties applies instead.

External sterilisation: an alternative with its own conditions

You may outsource sterilisation. It is a legitimate route, but not a paperwork-free one - quite the opposite. You need:

• a contract with the sterilisation provider,
• handover protocols for the instruments - every time,
• retention of both for 10 years.

The ten-year retention surprises people most. A slip from the sterilisation company stops being scrap paper after a month and becomes an archival document. Set up a folder with an annual structure straight away.

The autoclave: PN-EN 13060

If you sterilise on site, the device must meet PN-EN 13060. Check the technical documentation and the rating plate, not the shop description.

Equipment described as a "class B autoclave" for medical use usually complies, but the proof is the document, not the trade name.

You also need an equipment maintenance and inspection record. If so far you have kept only a sterilisation card and Sporal tests, this is a separate document you probably do not have.

Frequently asked questions

Does the salon owner need the course if she sterilises herself?

Yes. The requirement applies to the person performing sterilisation, whether employee or owner. The alternatives are the medical sterilisation technician title or outsourcing.

What exactly is the deadline?

Staff qualification and equipment requirements carry a two-year transitional period from entry into force on 3 August 2026, so the deadline falls in August 2028.

How long do I keep external sterilisation protocols?

Contracts and handover protocols for external sterilisation are kept for 10 years - considerably longer than typical retention for other salon records.

What if my autoclave does not meet the standard?

You have until August 2028 to replace it or switch to external sterilisation. Meanwhile keep normal sterilisation records - the transitional period covers equipment and qualifications, not the duty to keep records.