[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Health of the Town of Northborough 2-12-1992. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A. 
No person shall offer massage to the public in the Town of Northborough without a license from the Board of Health. The holder of a license may practice massage only at any site for which a location permit has been issued.
B. 
No person shall operate a site where massage is practiced without a location permit from the Board of Health. Each site shall require a separate location permit.
Applications for licenses and location permits shall be made on forms approved by the Board of Health and be accompanied by the data required by § 8-40-070. The application fees shall be $50 for a license and $100 for location permit and shall not be refunded if the application is not approved. An applicant for a license must be at least 18 years old.
All licenses and location permits shall expire on December 31 of each year. Fees will not be prorated. Licenses and location permits shall be renewed, on forms approved by the Board of Health, at least 30 days prior to expiration. The renewal fee shall be the same as the application fee.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
MASSAGE
The manipulation or conditioning of part or parts of the body by manual, mechanical or other means as a beauty, health or medical treatment.
A. 
Any physician, physical therapist, chiropractor or podiatrist registered in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is not required to obtain a license under these regulations. A person registered as a barber or an apprentice under the provisions of Section 87H or Section 87I of Chapter 112 of the Massachusetts General Laws, or as a hairdresser, operator or student under the provisions of Section 87T through 87JJ of said Chapter 112, may practice facial and scalp massage without obtaining a license.
B. 
A hospital, infirmary, nursing home, convalescent home or public school athletic department, where massage may be included in the therapy given, is not required to obtain a permit under these regulations.
C. 
Massage may be performed in other than an approved site pursuant to order of a person listed in the first sentence of Subsection A.
A. 
An application for a license must submit proof of completion of a course of massage approved by the Board of Health and also at least two written references acceptable to the Board of Health supporting the applicant’s professional qualifications.
B. 
An applicant for a location permit shall submit a floor plan showing the dimensions, location of fixed equipment, toilet facilities and other physical features of the site. The layout of the site must be acceptable to the Board of Health.
A. 
Licenses and location permits (including variances) must be conspicuously displayed at all times in the applicable site. Copies of licenses may be displayed at multiple sites. Any duly authorized officer of the Board of Health may inspect the site at any time.
B. 
Each room at a site used for massage shall have an easily accessible operating telephone with the telephone numbers of the ambulance, fire, police and emergency contact person conspicuously posted next to the telephone.
C. 
No room at a site shall be used as a bedroom. The site shall have toilet facilities with an adequate supply of hot and cold running water and single-use hand washing soap and towels (or hot-air hand dryer) available at all times to the patrons and the staff. Facilities for the staff shall be conveniently located to allow hand washing between clients and other times as needed.
D. 
The site shall be kept in a clean and sanitary manner. All equipment, instruments, devices, robes, sheets, blankets, pillow cases and any other material or items which may come in direct contact with the body shall be disposable or cleaned and sterilized after each use.
E. 
Each person licensed to practice massage shall thoroughly cleanse such person’s hands by washing immediately before massaging a client.
F. 
The site shall at all times be maintained in compliance with all other requirements of the Town of Northborough and/or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Board of Health may vary the application of any provision of these regulations with respect to any particular case when, in its opinion, the enforcement thereof would do manifest injustice and the variance would not conflict with the minimum standards established by these regulations. Any variance must be requested in writing and shall be granted in writing. A copy of any such variance shall, while it is in effect, be available to the public at all reasonable hours in the office of the Board of Health.
A license or location permit may be suspended or revoked at any time by the Board of Health for noncompliance with these regulations. The holder of a suspended license or location permit may request, in writing, a hearing thereon, and the Board of Health shall hold such said hearing within 30 days after receipt of such request.
Whoever violates any provision of these regulations shall be punished by a fine of not more than $100 per day or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.