Soul Survivors implements the highest standards in regards to health and sterilization. The studio uses only single use needles that have been autoclave sterilized prior to use. The needles are disposed of immediately after completion of the procedure (tattoo or piercing) in a sharps container. The sharps containers are then disposed of by a nationally recognized company.

Any tools that are re-used (such as forceps and grips) are subject to a rigorous sterilization procedure. Each item is first scrubbed by hand, secondly submerged in an ultra sonic solution, dried and finally autoclave sterilized.

The autoclaves at Soul Survivors are tested continually - every single time the autoclave is used we insert 2 separate tests to ensure the unit is operating properly and working to full capacity. At least once a month, we also submit spore tests from all autoclaves to an independant laboratory. No autoclave from Soul Survivors has ever failed any of these 3 separate tests. Soul Survivors implements standards of its own that surpass what is legally set out for the body modification industry in Manitoba.

All staff employed at Soul Survivors have received training pertinent to this aspect of the industry, all practioners at Soul Survivors have attended training seminars from Health Educators Inc., some numerous times during their career. Moreover, Marc Vienneau and Eric Johanson have both recieved formal training from the University of Winnipeg and hold certification in Microbiology for Invasive Procedures.

Most noteworthy are the efforts that Eric Johanson, (sole proprietor of Soul Survivors) has made since 1994 to ensure that you, the public, receive an appropriate standard of health and safety when entering all body modification studios in Winnipeg. He worked for many years to update the archaic bylaw that was passed in 1989 in which it was perfectly acceptable and legal to re-sterilize needles. The updated bylaw regulations came into effect in 2006 and has positively impacted the industry standard for overall public health and saftey. It should also be mentioned that without the continual support of city counsellor Jenny Gerbasi this by-law may not have ever seen the light of day.

Please direct any questions regarding anything discussed here directly to the studio as there is absolutely no way we could possibly cover all aspects of this subject in a few paragraphs.