Hi
Could anyone help,
I am thinking of setting up as a mobile tattoist at the beginning of 2007 ( another year for training only 1 year so far) And would like to know what the regulations the government would require me to adhere to.

Sounds daft, but would I need to be fully First Aid Certified. and so one.

Many thanks,

And you never know I could be tattooing you in the future. here's hoping.....

I can't be any help because I don't know anything about tattoo but It's just a thought.

Doesn't your training course cover all the regulations? If not surely your teacher/instructor would know.

You could pm Litha (forum member) i'm sure she could give you advice and i'm pretty certain they do trainning.
She has a shop at Darnall.
From what i gather though gothbilly the health and safety regulations are strict for mobile tattooing, they used to be plenty of tattooists at bike festivals and shows but the difficulty in obtaining the paperwork has just about finished them off.
Here ya go found link... sound like the trainning is fully booked.
http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=60010

Also don't forget our good friend Google....
http://www.hse.gov.uk/lau/lacs/76-2.htm
lots of info there:thumbsup:

Cheers for the quick response.

I've seen Litha notes and I will be popping in to see them fro a chat. and thanks again the HSE link

many thanks

:)

Originally posted by gothbilly
Hi
Could anyone help,
I am thinking of setting up as a mobile tattoist at the beginning of 2007 ( another year for training only 1 year so far) And would like to know what the regulations the government would require me to adhere to.

Sounds daft, but would I need to be fully First Aid Certified. and so one.

Many thanks,

And you never know I could be tattooing you in the future. here's hoping.....

Here's hoping not, with two years untrained scratcher experience....Why don't you learn to tattoo properly first, get an apprenticeship and learn all the correct health and safety proceedures from professionals before embarking on your attempt to bring bad ink to the masses? Can't you ask for an apprenticeship with the tattooist guys you are friends with? That might answer a few of your questions.

Hi uncle Vic.

I understand what your saying, when I say I'm not good enough to tattoo anyone else yet. I am quite good already. Just I lack the confidence to tattoo anyone else other than friends. The advise I get from my friends is really, good, But they already have an apprentice and it's the good old story, you have to earn apprentaship, so I don't like stepping on toes,

So I ask questions when I'm being tattoo'd, Which has already cost 1k for my arm sleave, and I can't affored much more, and I thought these forums were meant to help with advise for studying.
I plan to start in a year, but When I get the information I may realise that a lot more studying is required, I ask about regulations not procedures, (Which I have a basic knowlegde of now, and in another year should be very good the rate i am going)

But thanks for your comments, and keeps on knocking people down with there dreams.

:thumbsup:

Originally posted by gothbilly
Hi uncle Vic.

I understand what your saying, when I say I'm not good enough to tattoo anyone else yet. I am quite good already. Just I lack the confidence to tattoo anyone else other than friends. The advise I get from my friends is really, good, But they already have an apprentice and it's the good old story, you have to earn apprentaship, so I don't like stepping on toes,

So I ask questions when I'm being tattoo'd, Which has already cost 1k for my arm sleave, and I can't affored much more, and I thought these forums were meant to help with advise for studying.
I plan to start in a year, but When I get the information I may realise that a lot more studying is required, I ask about regulations not procedures, (Which I have a basic knowlegde of now, and in another year should be very good the rate i am going)

But thanks for your comments, and keeps on knocking people down with there dreams.

:thumbsup:

No probs! I can't wait till all these so called trainee-tattooists start working on real people, the genuine tattooists will be so busy doing coverups and business will be GOOD!:clap:

Originally posted by Uncle_Vic
No probs! I can't wait till all these so called trainee-tattooists start working on real people, the genuine tattooists will be so busy doing coverups and business will be GOOD!:clap:

Yeah, so good, in fact, that itll be impossible to get an appointment with anyone half decent, so more people will go to the scratchers, and the cycle starts again. Catch 22.

Well Unfortunatly, I know many good tattooists that can do very good pieces, and two of them have only been tattooing for 2 years, granted they're not confident enough to do free hand, but they are very good, they also work in a very busy shop that is very well known.

SO A BIG THANKS FOR THE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE, ITS GUYS LIKE YOU THAT KEEP TATTOO'S UNDERGROUND,

tattooing is another form of art, the greatest artest didn't do apprentaships for 3 years before picking up a paintbrush, they started small and asked people advice. which was the idea here,

:rant:

QUOTE:

TATTOOIST SAYS STARTER KITS CAN PUT PEOPLE AT RISK
A tattooist in Grantham is backing plans to stop advertising of tattoo starter kits and unregulated training courses on internet auction sites.

Gary Stevens, who owns A Splash of Ink, on Swinegate, says public health and safety is put at risk by people who buy starter kits and work as tattooists with no experience or knowledge of hygiene practices.

He said there are an unknown number of 'backstreet scratchers' working in town whose work he has had to repair.
Gary, who runs the studio with wife Jan, said: "The risks are unbelievable.

"We work in a heavily regulated industry and there are good reasons for that when you think about the risk of
infection, not only to the customer but also to the tattooist.

"What worries me is how these scratchers dispose of their needles and waste and whether they understand the risks involved."

Gary pays £350 a year for disposal of used needles and other waste.He uses pre-sterilised needles, which are thrown away after one use, and wears disposable gloves, arm covers and aprons for every session.

His studio, which undergoes annual inspections, is filled with cleaning materials and safety equipment and Gary and Jan have to be licensed by the district council.

Gary, who has been a tattooist for 20 years, said: "When a customer comes in to have a tattoo, I ask them questions about their medical history and whether they are on medication.

"Some people look at me as if I am being nosy, but we need to know these things to protect ourselves and them."

Jan, who has been tattooing for two years and recently completed a health studies degree, said any reputable
tattooist will be happy to show potential customers a portfolio of work and discuss health and safety concerns.

She said: "There are basic standards a customer can expect when they go into a studio, and accepting less than these increases their risk of a poor quality tattoo or worse – infection.

"Ultimately it is up to the individual whether or not to be tattooed and where they want this procedure to be carried out, but care is required that you don't come away regretting the experience.

"If a person is tattooing from their home or garden shed and not from licensed premises, then perhaps there is a reason for that. As with many things in life, you only get what you pay for."

South Kesteven District Council's environmental health department said it would investigate complaints of scratchers operating in the area.

A spokesman said: "It is difficult to prove that someone actually runs a shop from home and whether they tattoo other people. We would need to establish good evidence that a business was being run.

"We would advise people to think very carefully before having a tattoo or other piercing activities as penetrating the skin can lead to problems. Check whether the tattooist you intend to visit is registered with the council."

Originally posted by gothbilly


tattooing is another form of art, the greatest artest didn't do apprentaships for 3 years before picking up a paintbrush, they started small and asked people advice. which was the idea here,

:rant:

And DaVinci, Van Gough and all their artist mates werent sticking needles into people for a living. Hence the fact they didnt need any training ar an apprenticeship. Tattooing has a few more health risks than painting. As for 'keeping tattooing underground', its only underground to numpties who think they can earn a few quid easily without putting the work in to learn to do the job properly, and the more of them are kept out of the trade, the better. Theyre keeping it underground themselves.

Originally posted by slh73
And DaVinci, Van Gough and all their artist mates werent sticking needles into people for a living. Hence the fact they didnt need any training ar an apprenticeship. Tattooing has a few more health risks than painting. As for 'keeping tattooing underground', its only underground to numpties who think they can earn a few quid easily without putting the work in to learn to do the job properly, and the more of them are kept out of the trade, the better. Theyre keeping it underground themselves.

Whoop whoop! Finally someone with some sense and some b****x! Everyone seems to want to be a tattooist these days, without putting in the time, effort and learning the very dull and repetitive bits before even thinking of picking up tattoo machines.

The sooner the training course cowboys are shut down the better for all of us. :clap:

Uncle_vic never having had a tattoo meself and not knowing how a tattooist starts out in the trade, could you explain how the OP might start out the correct way?
I'm sure he would appreciate the advice, what you say about untrained 'scratchers' is right and good advice but even the top guy's start somewhere.
It seems highly regulated these days and rightly so but it's not like you see adverts for apprentice tattooists down the job centre.
Personally i think he has made a good move asking for advice and although his dream might not be as close as he thought i think if he wants to do it he should be steered in the right direction by those who know best.

Originally posted by 40summat
Uncle_vic never having had a tattoo meself and not knowing how a tattooist starts out in the trade, could you explain how the OP might start out the correct way?
I'm sure he would appreciate the advice, what you say about untrained 'scratchers' is right and good advice but even the top guy's start somewhere.
It seems highly regulated these days and rightly so but it's not like you see adverts for apprentice tattooists down the job centre.
Personally i think he has made a good move asking for advice and although his dream might not be as close as he thought i think if he wants to do it he should be steered in the right direction by those who know best.

Thank you, very much, you hit the nail on the head. this is all I'm after.

:clap:

and if I keep at it,(not on the PUBLIC!!!!!!) I'll be good. and may be able to start in a studio to brush up on technices.

All I'm asking is advise.

I didn't think the people that know would course a debate.

This is why people go underground, and F%$k up tattoo's cos when they ask they get told to F76k off,

Ok. It sounds like you have the enthusiasm and have maybe grasped the basics, although it also sounds like you need to learn to walk (maybe even crawl) before running...

The Good Uncle suggests that you look in the back of tattoo magazines (located in your friendly neighbourhood corner shop alongside the w**k mags), something such as Skin Deep contains plenty of apprenticeships on the back 'adverts' pages. You will need a portfolio of art work to show that you have a grasp of basic drawing skills (it is amazing how many potential apprentices 'disappear' or lose interest once a portfolio of drawings is requested by the studio offering the apprenticeship). I would also suggest that you contact LOADS of studios and offer your services, though don't be suprised if you are making tea and stencilling up flash for a while before getting down to the juicy stuff.
You will need to extend your search, as apprenticeships are like rockinghorse s**t in certain areas of the UK. Be prepared to relocate and also to travel to interviews. The internet is also a useful beast in the hunt for a studio apprenticeship.

You might be paid during your apprenticeship, you might have to do it for the love of the art. That is only just one of the crap bits of becoming a tattooist (not to mention the irregular pay at certain times of the year, the anti social hours demanded by some studios, the unwashed and smelly customers that one is sometimes faced with, etc etc).

There are opportunities out there and tattooists are generally much nicer than people are led to believe (we all started out somewhere). Approach some without arrogance and with a willingness to work your nads off and you will succeed in getting an apprenticeship.

Good luck and keep us posted.

PS. drug and alcohol problems are generally frowned upon by good studios, so living like a boy scout could be another sacrifice of one willing to learn to tattoo the PROPER AND BEST WAY.:)