Jason Unrau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Sep 02/05) - Inuvik's tattoo artist and body piercer Mark Clement cuts no corners when it comes to the health and safety of his clients.

In fact, a recent inspection by Environmental Health Officer Bob Mellett has earned Clement top marks and possibly a speaking engagement about his practices at the annual Health and Safety Commission gathering in Yellowknife next spring.

"A lot of it is his cleanliness and how he informs people of the various procedures," said Mellett, adding that Clement's studio is "scrupulously clean and he's got a knowledgeable background and that impressed me."

At the studio, Clement runs a tight ship, keeping meticulous records of his tools and their sterilization. While needles and paint can be discarded after use, guns and their parts have to be properly cleaned.

"Windex doesn't kill blood-borne pathogens," said Clement.

In addition to being washed with an ultrasonic cleaner, tattoo gun parts are cooked for one hour at 275 degrees Celsius in an autoclave, the same kind of machine hospitals employ to sterilize surgical instruments.

As for the gun itself, which cannot be placed in either the ultrasonic cleaner or the autoclave, Clement ensures it is bagged to avoid contamination from customers' blood.

"There are a lot of cleaning procedures," said Clement. "I mimic the hospital policy."

And after Clement finishes tattooing a client, he makes that person watch him dispose of the needles and the paint, which can also become contaminated.

"People say 'Why? I trust you'," he said. "I say it's not just for your peace of mind, but for the last person and the person after you."