KUALA LUMPUR – The National Security Council (NSC) today issued a directive prohibiting the public from using cosmetics, skincare and fragrance testers without being attended to by beauty consultants as part of its Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP).
The guideline, which was published in the NSC’s Telegram media group, also issued other directives under a new SOP that are specific for cosmetics, skincare and fragrance retailers on how they should deal with customers in the new normal.
The new SOPs for the sector are:
Workers and beauty consultants must wear a face mask when in the premises at all times.
Customers must wear face masks in the premises except while they are in consultation.
Beauty consultants must wear gloves if there is any physical contact.
Customers must use beauty disposable applicators provided to avoid skin contact.
A new applicator must be used each time it is utilised on a cosmetic item and the same applicator cannot be used on the same customer more than once.
A consultation cannot take longer than one hour.
Before and after each consultation the beauty consultant must wash their hands with soap or hand sanitiser. They must also disinfect their tools after each consultation.
All use-and-throw items (gloves, applicators, face masks) must be disposed of in a closed rubbish bin and all cosmetic items must be kept.
Consultation process is turn-based and a physical distancing of one metre at all time – including while queueing up and during the consultation – must be observed. This includes the number of customers that the owners allow in the premises.
Child consultations are prohibited. Consultation for those 60 and above are allowed but the senior citizens are still considered to be among the high risk category.
Affected business owners must also register with their local councils or risk closure.
Similar to other retailers, the employees must also brief their staff on Covid-19 SOP as well as providing hand sanitisers, face masks, gloves, aprons, infrared handheld thermometers, disinfectants, appointment plans and the MySejahtera application or manual registration.
All employees are required to take their temperature before entering the premises daily, while those with Covid-19 symptoms, persons under investigation, close contact to Covid-19 patients and persons under suspicion are not allowed to work.
Disinfection must take place three times a day – before opening, during operations and after closing.
All customers must have their temperatures checked and register themselves under the MySejahtera application or manually write down their details.
The SOP came as a direct response to a case in Parkson Elite in 1Utama, Petaling Jaya yesterday where a beauty advisor working at the Estee Lauder counter was found positive for Covid-19. – The Vibes, October 9, 2020
