On Nov. 9, Worcester Commissioner of Inspectional Services Nicholas Antanavica presented a 16‑section draft ordinance to the Board of Health that would require licensing for all bodywork businesses – such as shiatsu, acupressure, Reiki, Thai bodywork and Ayurvedic medicine – and introduce new safety standards aimed at curbing human trafficking, which the city estimates occurs in 25 to 30 illicit spas.
According to This Week in Worcester, the city currently has roughly 50 to 75 bodywork establishments. Under the proposal, owners and practitioners must be at least 21, submit criminal‑record and sex‑offender‑registry checks, and obtain national certification from groups like the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia or the American Reflexology Certification Board. Applicants would also need a physician’s letter confirming a recent physical exam, up‑to‑date adult vaccinations and, when required, a tuberculosis screening.
Each business would need a manager with a practitioner permit on site during operating hours, at least one CPR‑certified staff member present at all times, and a waiting area open to the public. Treatment rooms must be at least 70 square feet, have a hand‑washing sink, and feature doors that cannot be locked. The front door must remain unlocked during business hours, while side and rear doors are for employees only. The draft bans blackout curtains, window sprays, posters that block windows or doors, and all latex products, and it prohibits items of a sexual nature and stock photos in advertising.
Operating hours would be limited to 7 a.m. – 8 p.m., shorter than the 10 p.m. limit in neighboring Plymouth. Clients must present proof of being at least 18, and businesses must keep records of each client’s name, address and date of birth, to be turned over on request. Practitioners could not operate from homes, condominiums, hotels or motels.
Enforcement provisions call for at least two unannounced inspections per year. Turning an inspector away would trigger immediate revocation, while a finding that a criminal act occurred – based on a “preponderance of the evidence” – could lead to permanent revocation without a criminal charge. Violations such as using an alias, exposing a client, treating a minor or allowing anyone to sleep on site would also result in loss of the permit for both the establishment and the practitioner.
Permits would expire each Dec. 31. Existing businesses would have 30 days to apply for a new permit once the rules are adopted, or face immediate closure. The draft also requires the State Department’s “Know Your Rights” pamphlet in each employee’s primary language, extending the protections to other venues commonly linked to trafficking, such as hotels, nail salons and restaurants.
Sources: thisweekinworcester.com
