Shortly after the APP’s 2022 conference in Las Vegas, APP member John Johnson traveled to Spokane, Washington to represent the association’s Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Committee (LRAC) at the annual education conference hosted by the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA).

APP members Matt Bavougian, Steve Joyner, and John Johnson each have positions on NEHA’s body art committee which created the Body Art Model Code (BAMC). NEHA represents health inspectors around the United States who visit body art studios and enforce local codes. This NEHA conference in Spokane featured four days of body art inspector training and the APP’s John Johnson was there to speak on behalf of body piercing facilities and discuss the most practical and effective methods for their inspection.

The NEHA conference is similar to our APP conference in many ways, lectures and other presentations take place each day with topics related to environmental health, opportunities to network are everywhere, and of course the exposition hall where vendors display their products and services is a main attraction.

Like piercers who attend the APP’s conference, health inspectors and other environmental health officials attend conferences such as NEHA to stay up-to-date with trends, technology, and information relevant to their profession. Today, these environmental health specialists have great interest in body art like professional piercing.

Body piercing is now considered mainstream by many and regulators are very interested in effective health codes and their enforcement. The APP’s LRAC works closely with organizations like NEHA who have a need for body piercing health and safety information. We appreciate everyone at NEHA who supports the APP’s mission of safe piercing.

At the time of this article NEHA is accepting change requests for the Body Art Model Code.