Town of West Hartford, CT Massage Establishments

Any person under whose name the massage therapy establishment shall be permitted and who has the authority to make decisions regarding the establishment. The applicant is not required to be a massage therapist or the owner of the massage therapy establishment.

CLIENT

Any person who provides compensation for massage therapy.

DIRECTOR OF HEALTH

The legally designated health authority of the Town of West Hartford or an authorized representative of the Director.

MASSAGE

Shall mean "massage therapy."

MASSAGE THERAPY ESTABLISHMENT

Any establishment having a fixed business where any person engages in or carries on or permits to be engaged in or carried on massage therapy, as herein defined.

MASSAGE THERAPIST

Any person who has been licensed by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health to practice massage therapy.

MASSAGE THERAPY

The systematic and scientific manipulation and treatment of the soft tissues of the body, by use of pressure, friction, stoking, percussion, kneading, vibration by manual or mechanical means, range of motion and nonspecific stretching. Massage therapy may include the use of oil, ice, hot and cold packs, tub, shower, steam, dry heat or cabinet baths, for the purpose of, but not limited to, maintaining good health and establishing and maintaining good physical and mental condition. Massage therapy does not encompass diagnosis, the prescribing of drugs or medicines, spinal or other joint manipulations, or any service or procedure for which a license to practice medicine, chiropractic, natureopathy, physical therapy or podiatry is required by law.

PERSON

Any individual and, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, any corporation, partnership, association, joint-stock company or combination of individuals of whatever form or character.

§ 117-3 Exceptions.

This chapter shall not apply to any school, hospital, nursing home or mental health facility operating in accordance with the laws of the State of Connecticut.

§ 117-4 Applicability; time of compliance.

For massage therapy. Any person who is employed as a massage therapist in the Town of West Hartford as of the effective date of this chapter shall comply with this chapter.

For massage therapy establishments. The provisions of this chapter shall apply immediately to any massage therapy establishment opened on or after the effective date of this chapter. All massage therapy establishments existing at the effective date shall comply with all provisions of this chapter within six months from the effective date.

§ 117-5 Permit to operate massage establishment required; fee; procedure.

Permit required. No person shall engage in, conduct or carry on or permit to be conducted or carried on, in or upon any premises in the Town, the operation of a massage therapy establishment without first having obtained a permit to operate a massage therapy establishment from the Director of Health.

Application. All applications for a permit to operate a massage therapy establishment shall be in writing, signed and sworn to by the applicant, and shall include:

(1)

The name and address of each applicant.

(2)

That the applicant is at least 18 years of age.

(3)

The proposed place of business and facilities therein.

(4)

The applicant's current Connecticut driver's license or other acceptable photo identification.

(5)

Photocopies of valid massage therapy licenses from the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health and current Connecticut driver's license or other acceptable photo identification of all persons providing massage therapy at the establishment.

(6)

Such other information as may be necessary in order for the Director of Health to make any determination required by this chapter.

Fee. Each application shall be accompanied by a fee of $75.

Issuance.

(1)

The Director of Health shall issue a permit to operate a massage therapy establishment upon finding:

(a)

All requirements concerning the operation and facilities described in this chapter will be complied with as of the effective date of the permit.

(b)

Compliance with all other statutes, codes or ordinances, including health, zoning, building, fire and safety requirements of the state or the Town, as of the effective date of the permit.

(2)

A permit to operate a massage therapy establishment shall be valid for five years from the date of issuance unless revoked or suspended.

§ 117-6 State license required.

No person shall engage in the practice of massage therapy without first having obtained a massage therapy license from the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health.

§ 117-7 Renewal of permits.

Each application for renewal of a permit shall be accompanied by a fee of $75.

The Director of Health shall renew a permit to operate a massage therapy establishment upon finding that all requirements concerning the operation and facilities described in this chapter are complied with.

If renewal of any permit is denied, the Director of Health shall notify the holder of the permit, in writing, no later than 14 days after application for the permit, of the facts and of the specific section or sections of this chapter upon which the Director's determination was made.

§ 117-8 Transfer of permit.

No permit issued pursuant to this chapter shall be transferable.

§ 117-9 Establishment requirements.

No permit to operate a massage therapy establishment shall be granted until the Director of Health has established that the establishment complies with each of the following minimum requirements:

All massage therapy must be carried out in clearly designated rooms within the massage therapy establishment. Such rooms shall provide privacy to the client.

Adequate toilet and handwashing facilities for clients and employees shall be provided. Toilet and handwashing facilities shall be in working condition at all times and shall be kept clean and sanitary.

If used, tubs, steam baths and showers shall be in working condition at all times and shall be kept clean and sanitary.

A sink with hot and cold running water and a bacteriostatic solution, or an approved hand sanitizer, shall be provided in each designated massage therapy room.

§ 117-10 Standards for operation.

Every portion of the massage therapy establishment shall be clean, in good repair and operated in a sanitary condition.

All massage therapy establishments shall be provided with clean, laundered sheets and towels in sufficient quantity, which shall be laundered after each use and stored in an approved sanitary manner; provided, however, that appropriate single-service disposal items may be utilized in lieu of sheets and towels. No sheet or towel shall be used by more than one person without being laundered.

If used, bathtubs shall be thoroughly cleaned after each use.

All facilities, equipment and materials utilized by practitioners of massage shall be safe and sanitary and maintained and operated so as to preclude any danger or hazard to client or massage therapist.

The permit to operate a massage therapy establishment shall be displayed within the establishment, and a copy of each valid massage therapy license from the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health shall be maintained and/or displayed in accordance with the requirements of state law.

No smoking shall be permitted in any massage room.

Each massage therapist shall wash his/her hands with a bacteriostatic solution, or an approved hand sanitizer, before rendering massage therapy to a client.

All apparatus or appliances or objects used in massage therapy shall be cleaned and disinfected before and after each use.

All disinfectants and cleansing agents used to maintain the premises and equipment shall be completely separated from any substance that is to be applied to the skin.

Written procedures.

(1)

Each establishment shall have, and each massage therapist shall be knowledgeable of, written procedures to cover:

(a)

The cleansing and sanitizing of appliances and apparatus used for massage therapy.

(b)

The laundering, sanitizing, storage and use of sheets, towels and other linens.

(c)

Universal precautions for employees and clients to exposure to blood or other bodily fluids.

(d)

Written referral to a licensed healing arts practitioner, as defined in § 20-1 of the Connecticut General Statutes, or any client who has any physical or medical condition that would constitute a contraindication for massage therapy or that may require evaluation or treatment beyond the scope of massage therapy.

(2)

Such procedures may be subject to the review and approval of the Director of Health.

§ 117-11 Administration and enforcement; penalties for offenses.

Enforcement responsibility. The Director of Health shall be responsible for enforcing the provisions of this chapter and carrying out its intent.

Rules and regulations. The Director of Health is hereby authorized to make, adopt, revise and amend procedural rules and regulations as is deemed necessary to administer the purposes of this chapter and to interpret and implement the provisions of the chapter.

Inspections. The Director of Health may make an inspection of each massage establishment for the purpose of determining that the provisions of this chapter are complied with. Such inspections shall be made at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner. No permit holder shall fail to allow access to the premises for an inspection or hinder such inspection in any manner.

Notice of violation.

(1)

Whenever the Director of Health determines that any establishment fails to meet the requirements set forth in this chapter, s/he may issue a written notice of violation to the applicant setting forth the alleged failures and date for correction.

(2)

At the end of the period of time allowed for the correction of any violation, the Director of Health shall reinspect the establishment to determine if the violation has been corrected.

(3)

If, upon reinspection, the violations are determined not to have been corrected, immediate action shall be taken to correct the violations, including but not limited to assessing fines or revoking the permit.

Revocation or suspension of permit.

(1)

The Director of Health may revoke or suspend any permit to operate a massage therapy establishment if s/he finds that:

(a)

The applicant for the permit has made any false or misleading statement in applying for the permit; or

(b)

The applicant has refused to permit the Director of Health to make a reasonable inspection of the premises or the operation therein or unduly hinders such inspection.

(2)

The Director of Health shall not revoke or suspend any permit issued under this chapter without notifying the applicant, in writing, of the facts and of the specific section or sections of this chapter upon which his/her determination was made and of the applicant's right to request a hearing before the Director of Health and to present evidence or argument on all facts or issues involved.

Hearings on denial of permit or denial of renewal.

(1)

Any person aggrieved by the denial of a permit to operate a massage therapy establishment or by the denial of renewal of such permit may request a hearing before the Director of Health. The request for a hearing must be made in writing and within seven calendar days of the receipt of the notice to deny or revoke the permit.

(2)

A request for a hearing shall stay any revocation, suspension or denial of a renewal until such time as a hearing has been held and a decision rendered thereon; provided, however, that if the Director of Health finds that the public health, safety or welfare imperatively requires emergency action and incorporates a finding to that effect in the notice, the permit may be summarily suspended, pending a hearing thereon, which hearing shall be promptly instituted and all facts and issues promptly determined.

(3)

The Director of Health shall, upon receiving a request for a hearing under Subsection F(1), schedule a hearing not later than 15 working days from the date of actual receipt of the request and shall notify all parties of the time and place thereof.

(4)

The person shall be afforded the opportunity to present evidence and argument on all facts or issues involved involving the denial or revocation of the permit to operate.

(5)

The Director of Health shall render a decision within 10 working days of the date of the hearing held under this section.

Penalty.

(1)

Every person who operates a massage therapy establishment without first obtaining a permit shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $100.

(2)

Every person who provides massage therapy without a state license to practice massage therapy shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $100 and shall be reported to the Department of Public Health.

(3)

Every person who fails to correct any other violation of the provisions of this chapter by the end of the time period determined for correction shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $100.

(4)

Each violation and each day any such violation exists shall constitute a separate offense.

§ 117-12 Severability.

If any terms, phrases, sentence, paragraph, section or article of this code shall be declared invalid for any reason, such decision shall not affect the remaining parts of this code, and such parts shall continue in full force and effect and are herby declared to be severable.