Employees at entertainment venues will need to adhere to a stricter dress code as of October 1 after the Regulation on the Administration of Entertainment Venues was announced yesterday by the Ministry of Public Security.

It states that employees at such places must be suitably dressed and that their clothing should not offend against decency.

The rules also stipulated that signs warning against gambling, drug taking and prostitution should be put up in the lobbies of entertainment venues. The signs should also include police telephone numbers so people can report crimes.

Entertainment facilities should also install monitoring equipment at the entrance, exit, cashier's desk and main passageways. These facilities should also ensure that the monitoring equipment is operated normally and that a "special" person is in charge of the supervision.

Small rooms inside entertainment venues should be installed with transparent doors and windows so that everything can be seen. Devices such as locks and bolts are banned from as they may interfere with entry and exit to the room, according to the regulations.

Dimming lights are not permitted and lights should not be turned off during business hours.

The regulations also require that entertainment venues set up a log of business operations that indicates the duties, working hours and working places of its staff. This record should not be deleted or altered. The files should be kept for 60 days for future reference.

Entertainment venues should hire professional security personnel, and register employees at the nearest police station. Entertainment venues covering an area less than 200 square meters should provide at least two security guards. For larger ones, one more security guard must be employed for every additional 200 square meters.

The number of security staff in disco halls must reach five percent of capacity. Every disco hall must also have at least two safety checkers, one of whom must be female, according to the rules.

(Shanghai Daily July 2, 2008)