If you’re reading this then the chances are that you want to grow out your beard, or already have a beard, but need to wear a tight-fitting respirator for work. Respiratory protection such as face masks, face shields and respirators need to properly fit the face in order to keep the wearer safe and ensuring that a respirator is properly sealed is vital.
Any facial hair that lies along what is known as “the sealing area” of a respirator will interfere with its effectiveness. Respirators rely on a tight seal around the face to achieve maximum protection. This means that beards can cause a problem when using respirators, as they can prevent the mask from being able to seal around the face and fitting correctly.The reason that facial hair interferes with the effectiveness of RPE is that particles in the air will take the path of least resistance.
Facial hair also cannot and does not act as some kind of filter to capture particles that try to pass through it. Human hair may appear to be very thin but it is much larger than the particles. Hairs are much too large to capture particles and so the majority will follow the air stream right through the facial hair and into the respiratory tract of the wearer. Even one or two days' stubble can reduce the amount of protection offered.
This infographic below, shared from the CDC, demonstrates which styles of facial hair do and do not interfere with the effectiveness of respiratory protection.
According to the HSE, only clean-shaven faces can be properly face fitted, because facial hair compromises the seal, and therefore compromises the safety of the wearer.
If you are an employer responsible for providing RPE to the workforce, remember that it is important to foster a culture of safety within your team whilst empowering them by giving them PPE that they are happy to wear, allowing them to retain their personal choices. The recommended solution for providing respiratory protection to workers with beards is by investing in respirators that do not require face-fit testing, Where respiratory protective equipment is required, it is also important to ensure that the equipment that you provide is fit for purpose.
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