PI-WIKI-BIO-35 · Biosecurity · reviewed 2026-10-31
Studio Facility Design, Zoning and Fit-Out Standards
Critical numbers
Reprocessing areaSeparate area used only for reprocessing [3]
Instrument flowOne direction through the processing area, unclean to clean to sterile [3]
Hand basin functionDedicated to handwashing only; not shared with instrument cleaning [3]
Hand basin suppliesClean warm potable water, liquid soap, alcohol-based hand cleaner, single-use towels or a working automatic hand dryer [3]
Hand basin sitingAs near as possible to treatment rooms and areas [3]
Bench spaceSufficient for clear separation of clean from unclean and unsterilised equipment, plus drying space [3]
Surfaces and fittingsDesigned and constructed to be easily and correctly cleaned; suitable floor coverings, shelves, fittings, furniture [3]
Lighting and ventilation (regulatory language)'Good lighting and ventilation' ; UK duties under the Workplace Regulations 1992, ACOP L24 [2, 3]
Healthcare ventilation standardANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170, Ventilation of Health Care Facilities. Body art studios are outside its scope [7]
Workplace lighting standardEN 12464-1:2021, quantity and quality of illumination by visual task; body art is not a listed task [6]
Gram-positive surface survivalMonths on dry surfaces (S. aureus incl. MRSA, Enterococcus incl. VRE, S. pyogenes) [8]
Bloodborne virus surface survivalHBV and HIV persist more than one week [8]
Do not
- One basin serving both handwashing and instrument rinsing. The requirement is…
- Reprocessing carried out on the procedure bench or in a shared back room…
- A reprocessing bench laid out so instruments move in both directions
- Porous or textured surfaces in any splatter or aerosol zone
- Carpet
- Open or failed junctions behind basins and at floor-to-wall lines
Applicable standards
- EU / UK — There is no EU-wide body art premises design standard. EN 17169:2020 Tattooing
- United States — OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030
- ASEAN / AP — NSW Health publishes explicit design and construction guidance for skin…