Practitioner Membership Requirements

The AUPP’s Professional Practitioner requirements are based on standards established by the professional industry to ensure the safest procedures for practitioners and clients.

Table of Contents

Ethical Requirements

  1. No piercing guns used by any staff member (including mechanical, spring loaded, or hand pressure systems)
  2. Does not offer nipple or genital piercing services (including piercings, jewellery changeovers, and consultations) for clients under the age of 18
  3. Does not pierce clients under the age of 16 without parental consent
  4. Only pierces clients who are able to give informed consent (ie: no infants, toddlers, or intoxicated/drug-affected individuals)
  5. No acrylic/PMMA body jewellery sold or used by any staff member
  6. No external/step-down thread jewellery sold or used by any staff member
  7. Does not pierce with, or install in a healing wound, any jewellery in which a seam, hinge, join, or hallmark may pass through the piercing channel
  8. Gives written and verbal aftercare instructions for skin penetration procedures
  9. Obtains release forms for every skin-penetration procedure (ID sighted and/or recorded)
  10. If the procedure room is used for other services (such as tattooing), it will be thoroughly cleaned before use for piercing
  11. Pierces or inserts in healing piercings only the following materials:
    1. ASTM F-136 (Ti6Al4V ELI) Implant grade Titanium
    2. ASTM F-1295 (Ti6Al7Nb ELI) Implant grade Titanium
    3. ASTM F-67 compliant commercially pure titanium
    4. ASTM F-138  (ISO 10993-6, 10993-10, and/or 10993-11) Implant grade Steel
    5. ASTM B392 compliant Niobium (ie: Grade 2 Niobium, Grade 4 Niobium)
    6. Lead-free glass (ie: Fused quartz, Borosilicate, Soda-lime)
    7. Solid 14kt (or higher) gold (nickel and cadmium free)
    8. Solid Platinum (cadmium, nickel, and lead-free)
    9. ASTM F754 Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
    10. USP VI compliant biocompatible polymers

Training requirements

  1. Agrees they understand correct hand washing techniques
  2. Holds valid BBP training certificate
  3. Holds valid First Aid & CPR certificate
  4. Holds valid state-required certifications (TAFE, UNI, etc), if applicable

Procedure requirements

  1. Uses disposable, non-latex gloves when performing non-sterile services (change-overs, etc)
  2. Uses sterile, single-use, non-latex gloves for skin penetration procedures
  3. Uses an aseptic, single-use set-up for skin penetration procedures, ie:
    1. suitable skin prep (individually packaged recommended)
    2. aseptic drape and or a visual identifying prep (such as iodine)
    3. marking implements (single-use pen is recommended)
    4. post cleaning care (sterile wipe/gauze recommended)
  4. Uses mask and beard-net (if applicable) for every skin penetration procedure that has a potential of bodily fluid risk (ie oral piercings, or ones that cause aerosol bodily fluids)

Environmental requirements

  1. Completely separate, walled procedure room with a door/doors (Curtains are not accepted as dividers/separators)
  2. Easy to clean, non-porous flooring and surfaces in the procedure room
  3. Non-porous fixings/curtains/decorations in the procedure room (if applicable)
  4. HEPA air filter or other air purification system in the procedure room
  5. Dedicated warm hand washing facilities within direct access of procedure room (inside room is suggested with foot or motion controlled suggested)
  6. Hand washing instructions displayed at hand washing facilities (laminated or framed suggested)
  7. Liquid hand soap dispenser next to hand washing facilities (including bathrooms) 
  8. Single-handed or hands-free paper towel dispenser/hand drying facilities next to hand washing sink
  9. A secured sharps disposal container with direct access in the procedure room (wall mounted is suggested)
  10. Biohazardous waste containers must have a hands-free lid and must be marked “Biohazard”
  11. Disposable, non-latex gloves at jewellery displays/counter for handling jewellery

Sterility/Reprocessing requirements

  1. Practices a minimum of one of the following tests for all actively used sterilisers:
    1. Daily helix tests
    2. Weekly in-house spore testing
    3. Monthly third-party spore testing
  2. Uses a compliant (AS 2773.1:1998) ultrasonic cleaner with a cover or automated washer (if reprocessing tools)
  3. Dedicated biohazard tool container (if reprocessing tools)
  4. Dedicated sterilisation area with door and HEPA air filter (if reprocessing tools)
  5. Sterilised piercing implements kept in enclosed non-porous containers
  6. Uses PPE for manual tool reprocessing (if reprocessing tools), including:
    • disposable gloves
    • disposable apron
    • disposable arm sleeves
    • disposable mouth protection
    • eye protection (disposable mask with eye shield suggested)