Health & Safety Tip: MRSA Infections

Description: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of staphylococcus or “staph” bacteria that are resistant to many antibiotics.

Staphylococcus aureus is an organism commonly found on the skin. While we are all colonized with “staph”, some people tend to develop skin infections, including boils and abscesses. If the strain happens to be MRSA, treatment with certain antibiotics may not work. Although this used to be seen primarily in hospitals, most MRSA infections are now acquired in the community.

Symptoms: Redness, swelling, warmth, tenderness of the affected area, or fever. Lesions may start out looking like a “bug bite” but then blisters and spreads to adjacent area and may form a “boil.”

Transmission: Exposed by close skin contact or sharing objects (towels, clothing) with a person with a MRSA infection or objects contaminated with MRSA. Exposure leads to colonization with the MRSA organism. Infection occurs when the MRSA organism is introduced into cuts, lesion or open skin or wounds.

Guidelines:

Preventing MRSA infection

MRSA exists in our environment and on our skin.
Remember, you can carry MRSA and not know it! You might infect yourself.
Wash your hands with soap and warm water!
Maintain good hygiene, shower regularly.
Keep wounds clean and cover cuts and scrapes with a clean bandage or dressing until it is healed.
Do not share personal use items, such as towels or clothes.
Periodically disinfect counter tops, shelves, equipment, and tools.

Preventing transmission of MRSA

Remember that hand sanitizer only works when used on visibly clean hands, so wash with soap and warm water as well as using hand sanitizer.
Keep all wounds clean and cover with a clean bandage or dressing until it is healed. Dispose of used bandages carefully in a closed container.
Seek care from a licensed health care professional as soon as possible if you suspect a MRSA infection. The earlier it is treated, the less likely it will spread.
Typically, infected individuals have to be treated by having the wound opened and drained or receive specific antibiotics by mouth. Treatment may not always include antibiotics.
Wash clothing and linen with hot water and laundry detergent. Dry in hot dryer.

Workplace responsibility:

Persons testing positive for MRSA in a skin lesion should be able to return to work after appropriate treatment is initiated (I.E. Antibiotic treatment and/or incision and drainage) and wound can be covered.
Any skin infection not responding to treatment within 3 days should be referred back to the health care provider.
Persons with skin infections should avoid participating in contact sports, other skin-to-skin contact, or swimming until infection is healed.

Barber, Cosmetology, Manicuring and Esthetics Program Experience Growth

The Department of Licensing reports continued growth in the number of licensees and this trend is expected to continue. This growth impacts the number of bi-annual inspections, complaints, investigations, disciplinary actions, and the need for added training and education for safety and sanitation through inspections.

In addition, reports of MRSA and more serious infractions of the safety and sanitation guidelines and unlicensed activity have resulted in the need for the development of an At-Risk-Inspection program. The new At-Risk-Inspection program will address salons or schools that rise to a level of high risk for safety of the consumers. This program will require additional or more frequent inspections throughout the year. Due to the growth in all of the areas described, the need to hire additional staff is required to address the growing workload.

The Program became a dedicated fund in the 2007-2009 biennium, which requires the collection of revenue from licensing fees to cover the expenditures to support the program. There has not been a fee increase since January 2003, and the program has experienced continued growth and costs. At this time, the program is not collecting enough revenue which results in the need for a fee increase. The Department will be conducting an analysis to determine what will be required to support the cost of the program. The fee increases are proposed to be adopted by December 2009. Notices will be mailed to all impacted licensees in regards to the proposed fees and a public hearing will be held prior to adoption.

Department of Licensing
Disciplinary Actions

Gig Harbor - TNT Nail Spa - (Nheim Thi Tran)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Everett - Oasis Nails and Spa - (Kim-Phuong Thi Doan)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Wenatchee - V&K Nails - (Tommy Nguyen)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Spokane - Ann Nails - (Cuc Nguyen)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Moses Lake - Regal Nails - (Vu Quoc Duong)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Everett - VJ Nails - (Lan Ngoc Nguyen)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Port Orchard - Luxury Nail Spa, LLC - (Hong Van Le)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Tacoma - Beauty Nails - (Steven Troung)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Port Townsend - DK Nails - (Viet Q. Tran)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Tacoma - Danny’s Nails - (Binh Thi Ta)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Orting - Cari’s Barbershop - (Cari Backus)
Finding: Unlicensed Activity
Action: Fined $500
Selah - BeBe Nails - (Sally Nguyen)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Port Orchard - Julea’s Progressive Salon - (Julea Penland)
Finding: Engaging in Unlicensed Activity
Action: Fined $500
Gig Harbor - Shubui Salon & Day Spa - (Debra L. Ramirez)
Finding: Engaging in Unlicensed Activity
Action: Fined $500
Bremerton - Kitsap Nail - (Chien T. Nguyen)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Seattle - Tulips Nails Corporation - (Minh Quanh Cao)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Tumwater - T Spa Nails - (Hoa T. Huynh)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations/Aiding & Abetting unlicensed activity • Action: Fined $1000
Federal Way - Da Vi Nails - (Bich-Lien Le)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Shoreline - French Nails - (Curie Park)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations/Aiding & Abetting unlicensed activity • Action: Fined $1000
Bellevue - Nail Design - (Victoria Phan)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Marysville - Cee’s Barber Shop - (Cynthia Danley)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Centralia - Lovely Nails - (Cam-Trang Thi Ly)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Marysville - Best Nails - (Sang Huy Vu)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500
Seattle - E2 Salon - (Emilio Davila)
Finding: Engaging in Unlicensed Practice
Action: Fined $500
Seattle - Nail Time - (Jonathan Trung Do)
Finding: Engaging in Unlicensed Practice
Action: Fined $500
Spokane - Fancy Nails - (Nga TT Do & Kim Anh Nguyen)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation/Aiding & Abetting Unlicensed Activity • Action: Fined $1000
Mount Vernon - Fancy Nails - (Boa Tran Nguyen)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation/Aiding & Abetting Unlicensed Activity • Action: Fined $1000
Gig Harbor - Pretty Nails & Tanning - (Bich Van Ngo)
Finding: Safety & Sanitation violations
Action: Fined $500

Cosmetology, Barbering, Esthetics and Manicuring Advisory Board
State of Washington, Dept. of Licensing
P.O. Box 9048, Olympia • Washington 98507
(360) 664-6626 • email: plssunit@dol.wa.gov
www.dol.wa.gov/business/cosmetology

Staff Members:
Director — Liz Luce
Administrator — Trudie Touchette
Assistant Administrator — Susan Colard
Administrative Assistant - Lawna Knight

Board Members:
Chair, Anne Martin
Vice Chair, Sylvia Garcia
Larry Geiger
Gary Howse
Janice Hoggatt
James Moran
Kathleen Sather
Mary Tanneberg
Jefff Oslon

Health & Safety Tip: MRSA Infections

Guidelines:

Barber, Cosmetology, Manicuring and Esthetics Program Experience Growth

Department of Licensing Disciplinary Actions

Department of Licensing
Disciplinary Actions