Safety

Patch Test Register

0/6

Record the client's full name and date of birth in every entry, not just a first name. In an allergic-reaction claim, the court or insurer will need to match the record to the individual exactly, and initials or nicknames will not do.
Record the exact product tested: manufacturer name, product name, shade or reference number, and batch number from the packaging. Hair colour formulations change between batches; if the shade changes and the batch changes, a fresh test is required.
Record the date and time the test was applied and the site used (typically the inner elbow or behind the ear). The 48-hour window runs from this moment, not from the appointment booking. Never carry out a colour service if 48 hours have not elapsed.
Record the result as a clear pass or fail with a brief description: 'No reaction, skin clear' or 'Redness and itching noted at test site.' Do not record 'fine' or 'OK'. If there is any reaction at all, record it and do not proceed with the service on that or any future visit unless a dermatologist clears the client in writing.
Record the date the colour or chemical service was carried out in the same entry row, so the link between test and service is visible at a glance. An entry with a test result but no service date is incomplete.
Both the stylist or technician who applied the test AND the client must sign or initial each entry before the service goes ahead. Under English law a waiver does not override duty of care, but a co-signed record proves the test was explained and consented to.

All checks done

Safety

Patch Test Register

This register records every patch test carried out before a colour or chemical service: who was tested, what product was used, when the test was done, the result, and the date of the service that followed. Without it, you have no evidence that you met your duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 s.3 and COSHH Regulations 2002, and a single allergic-reaction claim can exceed five figures with no insurer willing to defend you.

12 checksPDF + printReviewed August 2026

Built on published UK guidance Show sources

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s.3; Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), regs 6 and 7 (risk assessment and prevention); Limitation Act 1980, s.5 (six-year claims window driving retention period); Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, s.2(1) (no contracting out of personal injury duty); Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), reg.8 (occupational dermatitis reporting); Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR, Article 5(1)(e) (storage limitation); NHBF Harmonised Allergy Alert Testing Protocol 2023; NHBF Salons and Barbershops Code of Practice

£34one-off, yours forever

Replaces a DIY doc, and you get every future update free when the guidance changes.

Go to basket

30-day money-back guarantee.

3 for 2 on documents and packs. Add 3 and your cheapest is free.

A clean one-page PDF, ready to print
Opens and ticks off on any phone
Clear, no jargon, easy to follow
Free updates whenever the guidance changes

Secure checkout30-day money-backInstant downloadNo subscriptionCard & Apple Pay

Best valueSave 42%

Or get all 56 templates

The Everything Bundle: every template today and every future one.£399 one-off, instead of £686 bought separately.

A well-kept safety setting — Made for places like this

What’s on it

12 things to check.

Everything that matters, nothing that does not. Here is the full list, exactly as it appears on the template.

1Record the client's full name and date of birth in every entry, not just a first name. In an allergic-reaction claim, the court or insurer will need to match the record to the individual exactly, and initials or nicknames will not do.
2Record the exact product tested: manufacturer name, product name, shade or reference number, and batch number from the packaging. Hair colour formulations change between batches; if the shade changes and the batch changes, a fresh test is required.
3Record the date and time the test was applied and the site used (typically the inner elbow or behind the ear). The 48-hour window runs from this moment, not from the appointment booking. Never carry out a colour service if 48 hours have not elapsed.
4Record the result as a clear pass or fail with a brief description: 'No reaction, skin clear' or 'Redness and itching noted at test site.' Do not record 'fine' or 'OK'. If there is any reaction at all, record it and do not proceed with the service on that or any future visit unless a dermatologist clears the client in writing.
5Record the date the colour or chemical service was carried out in the same entry row, so the link between test and service is visible at a glance. An entry with a test result but no service date is incomplete.
6Both the stylist or technician who applied the test AND the client must sign or initial each entry before the service goes ahead. Under English law a waiver does not override duty of care, but a co-signed record proves the test was explained and consented to.
7New clients: carry out a fresh test before every service until a full history is established. Existing clients: repeat the test at least every six months, in line with NHBF Harmonised Allergy Alert Testing Protocol (2023). Do not extend beyond six months even if the client insists nothing has changed; sensitisation can develop after years of uneventful use.
8Repeat the test whenever: the client switches to a different product or shade; a new batch number is used; the client reports a new health condition, pregnancy, or change in medication; or more than six months have passed since the last test. Record the trigger reason in the notes column.
9Record any client who declines a patch test. Note that the service was refused on safety grounds, have the client sign the refusal (or note that they declined to sign), and do not carry out the colour service. Your insurer requires this; a client signature waiver alone is not sufficient protection.
10Store completed records for a minimum of six years from the date of the entry. This aligns with the Limitation Act 1980 s.5, which gives clients six years to bring a contract or negligence claim, and with NHBF guidance. For clients who were under 18 when tested, retain until they turn 25 to cover the extended limitation period for minors.
11Records must be kept confidential and stored securely, whether paper or digital, in compliance with UK GDPR (UK General Data Protection Regulation, retained in UK law via the Data Protection Act 2018). Do not leave open registers where other clients can read them.
12If a staff member develops symptoms of occupational contact dermatitis linked to colour chemicals (PPD, resorcinol, persulfates), record it in your health-and-safety log and report a confirmed diagnosis to HSE under RIDDOR 2013 Regulation 8. Client patch test records may become relevant evidence in that investigation.

Good to know

Under English law you cannot contract out of your duty of care where personal injury is involved: even a signed client waiver refusing a patch test does not protect you from a negligence claim (Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 s.2(1)). Your only real protection is a complete, signed patch test register showing you followed the NHBF protocol and the manufacturer instructions, which are the standard a court will apply.

Source: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s.3; Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), regs 6 and 7 (risk assessment and prevention); Limitation Act 1980, s.5 (six-year claims window driving retention period); Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, s.2(1) (no contracting out of personal injury duty); Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), reg.8 (occupational dermatitis reporting); Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR, Article 5(1)(e) (storage limitation); NHBF Harmonised Allergy Alert Testing Protocol 2023; NHBF Salons and Barbershops Code of Practice

Good to know

Questions, answered

What is the Patch Test Register?

Why does it matter?

How do I get it, and is it up to date?

The PDF downloads the moment you check out, prints sharp in black and white, and opens on any phone. It is reviewed for August 2026 and you get any future update free when the official guidance changes.

More safety templates

Free

Fire Extinguisher Monthly Check

A discharged or depressurised extinguisher found during a real fire is no better than having no extinguisher at all. The monthly visual check catches the common pre-failure states (lost pressure, broken tamper seal, blocked access, overdue service) before they matter, and it gives the responsible person the maintenance records the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires.

FreeView

Safety

Fire Door Check

A fire door only works if it closes fully, latches, and seals the gaps; one door that fails to do that lets smoke and fire spread through a building in minutes and removes people's time to escape. These checks catch the specific, common failures (props, blown gaps, missing closers, painted-up seals) that turn a survivable fire into a fatal one.

£14View

Safety

First Aid Kit Check

An under-stocked or expired first aid kit means the person treating an injury reaches for a dressing and finds an empty slot, a perished wrapper, or latex gloves that trigger an allergic reaction. A regular documented check fixes that in advance and gives an HSE or Ofsted inspector evidence that your first aid provision is genuinely maintained, not just present.

£14View

Patch Test Register

£34