Hairdressers want to turn their area into the fourth floor of the government’s plan to stay with Kovid-19.

The Irish Hairdressers’ Federation says the newly updated health and safety guidelines for members take into account new information about the virus and make it safer for them to work on the ground floor of the project.

President Daniel Kennedy said: “Since we published our first health and safety document six months ago, there have been many changes in the response to the epidemic.”

“We now know more about how to manage this. We decided to revisit our document with our health and safety experts.”

Updated guidelines state hairdressers must wear face masks, not visors, as required by law.

Employees need to be aware of the difference between a close contact and a normal contact to ensure salons do not close unnecessarily, the guideline says.

It is also recommended that employees continue to be trained as the pandemic develops, while salons should be well ventilated with fresh air where possible.

The guidelines also state that employees must be aware of the EU traffic lights system for clients traveling abroad.

“It is important that we continue to review and improve how we respond to the epidemic,” she said.

“We hope the government will look into this and allow us to stay on the fourth level of life with the Kovid Plan.”

There are fears within the region that hairdressers and other essential retailers will have to close again if the virus outbreak in Ireland increases at Christmas and the country is forced to re-enter Level 5 restrictions.