Gents’ salons, ladies’ beauty parlours and spas in Dubai have been warned against hiring illegal staff to meet the Eid rush.

Customers make a beeline to hundreds of such establishments during festival occasions like Eid Al Fitr.

The Dubai Municipality’ Public Health and Safety Department has intensified inspections at these establishments as they are bracing up for handling the rush during the extended holidays for this year’s Eid.

Director of the department Redha Hassan Salman told Khaleej Times that the municipality would take strict action if any outlet has been found to have temporarily employed unauthorised staff to meet the Eid business rush.

“We have intensified our inspections at salons and parlours. There will be constant monitoring before and during Eid days as there will be a huge rush of customers to these outlets,” he said.

He said it is illegal to hire temporary beauticians. “Temporary employees are illegal. They don’t have permission from the Ministry of Labour to work and they don’t carry valid occupational health card from the municipality,” the official said.

The Municipality Clinic under the Public Health Services Department issues occupational health cards to employees of beauty parlours and salons which indicate that they are free of infections like AIDS, TB and Hepatitis.

Staff not possessing valid occupational health cards is among the most common violations, after unhygienic and unsafe practices, committed by such establishments.

The civic body is also striving to minimise the risk of infections that can happen due to sharing of cosmetic tools and equipment. It had previously launched a campaign urging customers to carry their grooming kit to beauty salons so that the tools are not shared.

Customers are also being asked to inform the municipality if the staff at salons and parlours are reusing disposable tools or not sterilising reusable tools.

“We impose fines ranging from Dh500 to Dh50,000 depending on the grade of the institution and the severity and repetition of the violations. The bigger the number of customers they serve, the more would be the fines for them because their unsafe practice could affect more people,” said Salman.