The Personal Service Regulations under the Public Health Act, approved on January 20, 2026, establish comprehensive requirements for personal service facilities and workers in Prince Edward Island to ensure hygiene, safety, and infection control. The regulations define key terms such as antiseptic, cosmetic product, critical, semi-critical, and non-critical equipment, medical device licenses, energy-emitting equipment, and the classification of disinfectants. They also specify roles and responsibilities, including owners, personal service workers, and the Chief Public Health Officer. The regulations aim to protect customers and staff by ensuring that all services are provided in a clean, sanitary environment with properly maintained and classified equipment.

Personal service facilities must be registered with the Minister at least 14 days before opening and every three years thereafter, providing detailed information about the business, ownership, and services offered. Owners must update the registry promptly if any information changes. Registration fees are $100 for standard facilities and $25 for temporary facilities operating 14 days or less. Facilities must have potable hot and cold running water, sufficient waste disposal, accessible washrooms, adequate storage, and smooth, non-porous work surfaces. Areas for reprocessing equipment must be separate from customer areas, incompatible activities, and contain dedicated sinks connected to permanent potable water systems. Mobile sinks are permitted solely for handwashing and must be maintained in sanitary condition.

Owners must establish, maintain, and follow detailed written procedures covering personal services, hand hygiene, handling single-use or uncleanable equipment, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, separating and transporting clean and contaminated supplies, and storing equipment. Procedures must also cover the use and maintenance of mobile sinks, sterilization practices, and handling failed sterility indicators. Copies of these procedures must be available to the Chief Public Health Officer, reviewed whenever new processes are introduced, or following injuries, infections, or directives from the Chief Public Health Officer. Personal service workers are required to comply with these procedures.

Equipment must be classified as non-critical, semi-critical, or critical, and disinfectants approved by the owner must meet specified Health Canada standards, including appropriate claims on labels and, where necessary, a drug identification number, natural product number, or medical device license. The use of piercing guns and energy-emitting equipment must follow manufacturer instructions, and cosmetic products must be labeled with identity, manufacturer information, ingredients, and safe-use instructions. Workers must have the necessary skills and knowledge to avoid contamination, maintain personal hygiene, wear clean clothing, and refrain from providing services if they have communicable diseases. Hand hygiene is required before and after services, before and after using gloves, and before and after reprocessing equipment, with alcohol-based hand rubs allowed only when hands are visibly clean.

Prince Edward Island (145/2026) February 3, 2026
Disclaimer: Insights are for informational purposes only and does not reflect RRI’s official position or constitute legal opinion.