Protecting People, Building Trust
Standards can support quality management, hygiene procedures and occupational risk controls. They do not replace applicable national licensing, safeguarding, professional-qualification or health requirements, and using a standard does not guarantee a safe outcome. Define the service, users, location and responsible professionals before choosing a document.
🏥 Social & Elderly Care
EN 15224 addresses healthcare quality management. Check whether the organisation and services fit that scope; it is not a universal standard for all social-care activities.
💅 Beauty & Wellness
EN 17226 covers professional beauty-salon services within practitioners' qualifications. It excludes medical procedures, cosmetic injectables, hairdressing, barbering and body-art tattooing.
🤝 Social Responsibility
ISO 26000 offers social-responsibility guidance for organisations. Use it to inform actions and reporting; it is not a certification standard.
Essential Standards for Service Providers
Choose according to the service or manufacturing activity. The references below address different subjects and are not interchangeable evidence of legal compliance.
| Standard | Title / Scope | Target Sector |
|---|---|---|
| EN 15224 | Quality management for healthcare | Healthcare organisations and services within the standard's scope. |
| EN 17226 | Beauty-salon service requirements and recommendations | Professional beauty treatments within the practitioner's qualifications and the standard's exclusions. |
| EN 17169 | Tattooing hygiene practice | Hygiene before and during tattooing, and aftercare. |
| ISO 26000 | Social-responsibility guidance | Organisational practices; not intended for certification. |
| ISO 45001 | Occupational health and safety management | Managing work-related hazards and risks to workers. |
| EN ISO 22716 | Cosmetics good manufacturing practice | Cosmetics production, control, storage and shipment; not a beauty-treatment qualification. |
Putting Standards into Service Procedures
Connect each selected reference to documented processes, responsibilities and checks:
- Client care: Document consultation, treatment boundaries, hygiene procedures and escalation arrangements appropriate to the service. A standard is not a guarantee against infection or injury.
- Healthcare quality: Define the scope of an EN 15224 management system. Certification does not replace national authorisation, inspection or professional duties, or prove every clinical outcome.
- Worker protection: Use an occupational health and safety system to identify hazards, assess risks and maintain controls. Evaluate the actual conditions and involve workers.
- Social responsibility: Use ISO 26000 to structure actions on governance, labour practices and community involvement. Report supporting evidence without presenting it as certification or guaranteed funding.
📥 Access Official Service Standards
Browse the service-standards catalogue on Genorma. Check the current document, service scope, language and licence before purchasing; obtaining a standard is not approval to perform a treatment.
For management-system work, request ISO auditor or consultant support and identify the service, country, proposed standard and work required. Distinguish implementation or internal-audit help from independent certification. Provider suitability and availability must be checked; an introduction does not grant a licence or guarantee certification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EN 15224 mandatory for nursing homes?
EN 15224 is a healthcare quality-management reference, not a blanket European licensing rule for nursing homes. Whether it is required for a particular service depends on applicable national rules and contractual requirements. Confirm these locally and check the scope of any certificate. Certification does not by itself prove compliance with every health-law duty or guarantee patient safety.
Are there standards for tattoo parlors?
Yes. EN 17169 addresses hygiene before and during tattooing and aftercare. Check the practitioner's activities, qualifications and applicable national or local requirements separately. It is not a substitute for authorisation, inspection or the rules governing the products used.
What is ISO 26000?
ISO 26000 provides guidance on social responsibility, including governance, human rights, labour practices and community involvement. ISO states that it cannot be used for certification. It can inform practices and reporting, but it does not establish an accredited certificate or entitlement to funding.
Explore Standards for Other Industries
Navigate to other key sectors to find relevant European and International standards.