Coronavirus: Decision to shut hairdressers down ‘should be cut and dried’

Hairdressers have ­appealed to the Chief Medical Officer to shut salons down to prevent staff and customers contracting the virus.

Perth hairdresser and Australian Institute of Trichology founder Simone Lee with client Elaine Shellam. Ms Lee wants salons to be shut down for health and safety reasons. Picture: Ross Swanborough

Hairdressers have ­appealed to Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy to shut salons down after Scott Morrison revoked the 30-­minute appointment limit, amid fears that workers and customers are being put at serious risk of catching and spreading the virus.

After declaring that keeping hairdressers and barbers open was “outrageous”, Australian Hairdressing Council CEO Sandy Chong on Thursday wrote to Dr Murphy to strongly recommend the industries “be closed by the federal government for the safety of all Australians”.

“The ‘touch’ factor and close contact our jobs require is extremely high,” the letter, obtained by The Australian, states.

“The AHC believes that whilst there is a percentage of salons that are engaging in strict WH&S procedures, there is also a percentage of businesses that would not be.

“Close to 25 million Australians will visit a hairdresser or barber to have their hair cut and/or coloured. That affects around 40,000 hairdressers and barbers within 15,000 salons across the country. The AHC has strong concerns for the safety of our hairdressers, their families and our communities.”

The Prime Minister announced on Tuesday night there could be up to 30-minute appointments at hairdressers and barbers as long as there was only one customer per 4 square metres in the premises.

He backtracked on Thursday following feedback on the practical implementation of the rule and said it would be lifted, effective immediately.

Perth hairdresser Simone Lee has kept her salon, Tyler Reid Hair, open and because of her background in trichology – the scientific study of the human hair and scalp – has introduced strict health and safety measures.

While she said she wanted to stay open for her clients, she also wanted her staff to be safe and said the risk they were being exposed to was “insane”.

“Sanitisation between each client is nearly about a half an hour process, where we change sheet covers over the chairs, we do temperature testing of customers because if there is any sign of fever or illness we can’t have them in there,” Ms Lee said.

“The staff are having to change their own aprons. Staff are wearing goggles, caps, facial masks, gloves, they’re fully covered.”

“By shutting down the beauty sector but hairdressers remain open, it’s discrimination.”

Just Cuts founder and CEO Denis McFadden said without hairdressing being on the shutdown list, it was incredibly difficult for franchise owners to take steps to stand down workers so they could access available support or ask for breathing space on leases.

Under section 524 of the Fair Work Act, employers can stand down employees without pay during work stoppages out of their control. Ms Chong was concerned hairdressers would not qualify because they could remain open.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said no one was being forced to work and acknowledged it was “impossible” for hairdressers to maintain social distance of 1.5m between people.

“There are many things … that can be done very practically,” Professor Kelly said.

“Having hand sanitiser at the door. Making sure people wash their hands before they come in. Insisting that people that are sick don't come, stay at home.”

The government confirmed access to social security payments was not contingent on a business being forced to close, with eligibility dependent on the relevant income test for a person’s individual circumstances.

“For example, a single with no dependants receiving the base rate of JobSeeker payment can earn up to $1086.50 per fortnight before losing access to payment,” Social Services Minister Anne Ruston’s spokeswoman said.