Meet the Minneapolis Public Health Body Art Inspection Team
Body Art Inspectors from Minneapolis, the Minnesota Department of Health, and the Fargo Health Department
The Minneapolis Health Department’s Environmental Health team is a diverse group of highly skilled professionals working with businesses to ensure they follow Minneapolis safety regulations.
One of the key inspection areas is body art. This includes inspections of tattoos, piercings, and other body art procedures to ensure compliance with City safety regulations. The inspections to keep artists and clients safe by focusing on:
- Education, consultation and enforcement
- Health and safety through an equity lens
- Providing resources and training for businesses
- Keeping businesses informed about new and updated regulations through our body art business newsletter
“We work with artists to make sure that everything is safe for the clients that come and get tattoos. There are different ways of doing that depending on if they’re getting a tattoo or piercing,” said Kenya Urena-Muro, Lead Body Art inspector for Environmental Health.
Annual Villain Tattoo Arts Festival
Inspections at the Annual Villain Tattoo Arts Festival last month are perfect examples of how the team helps ensure body art rules are followed.
The inspection team ensured that more than 300 vendors:
- Were properly licensed
- Followed safety regulations
- Used Safe equipment
Whether it’s a large event or a small body art business, the team is building healthier communities through the inspection process.
Festival organizer Troy Tiam praised the team
“They do an excellent job of showing up and making sure everything is safe for the public.”
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About inspections
A body art health inspection typically Includes:
- Scanning each booth for overall safety
- Ensuring proper handwashing stations are available
- Validating and verifying posted licenses
- Confirming correct forms are being used
- Checking aftercare instructions are correct and printed
- Because tattooing does break or puncture the skin, health inspectors make sure the artists:
- Prepare the skin with products that kill bacteria that may be on the skin to prevent infection, and to create a clean work surface
- Use single-use or sterilized needles and use single-use/disposable ink cartridges
- Properly care for the newly tattooed area
- Dispose of sharps and any other bandages and dressings used during the tattooing process
“This collaboration between artists and inspectors ensures that events like this maintain high standards, creating a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved,” said Urena-Muro.
Learn more about the body art inspection process
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