All facial hair under the chin or cheeks is prohibited for respirator wearing use. That includes small, neat beards or goatees that fit within a respirator. Beard hair can render a respirator nearly useless.
Do beards interfere with respirator seals?
"Facial hair that lies along the sealing area of a respirator, such as beards, sideburns, or some mustaches, will interfere with respirators that rely on a tight face piece seal to achieve maximum protection," says the post, titled "To beard or not to beard? That's a good question!"
Why can’t I wear a respirator if I have facial hair?
Facial hair that lies along the sealing area of a respirator, such as beards, sideburns, or some mustaches, will interfere with respirators that rely on a tight facepiece seal to achieve maximum protection. Facial hair is a common reason that someone cannot be fit tested.
Is there a respirator designed for beards?
The Powercap Active PAPR is designed to filter 99% of particles down to .3 microns without the need for a tight face seal. This allows anyone with any sort of facial hair to continue to work in dangerous environments without putting their health (or their beard) at risk!
Are Beards allowed under OSHA rules?
Beards are not designed to filter out these tiny particles. Gas and vapor molecules are even smaller. If someone is trusting their respirator to protect them from a harmful atmosphere, having hair between their face and the respirator seal is not a good idea and is not allowed by OSHA.
When should a respirator not be worn?
Do mustaches violate 1910.134?
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Facial Hair Under Seal of Tight-fitting Respirator | Occupational ...
September 14, 2012. Mr. Sean Logan Assistant Fire Chief Helena Fire Department 300 Neill Ave. Helena, MT 59601. Dear Mr. Logan: Thank you for your April 27, 2012, letter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Directorate of Enforcement Programs.
Facial hair and respirator wearing. | Occupational Safety and Health ...
March 29, 1985. Mr. Kenneth R. Thorson 278 Belleville Turnpike Kearny, New Jersey 07032. Dear Mr. Thorson: This is in response to your letter of February 10, 1985, concerning questions on facial hair and respirator wearing.
NIOSH Policy for Respirator Sealing Surfaces and Facial Hair
Letter to All Respirator Manufacturers. Issue Date: October 2, 2006 From: Heinz W. Ahlers, Chief, Technology Evaluation Branch, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory Subject: NIOSH Policy for Respirator Sealing Surfaces and Facial Hair It has been brought to the attention of NIOSH through phone calls and emails from respirator users and manufacturers that some respirator ...
When should respirators not be worn?
Respirators shall not be worn when conditions prevent a good face seal. Such conditions may be a growth of beard, sideburns, a skull cap that projects under the facepiece, or temple pieces on glasses.
What is the NIOSH standard for respirators?
The current 29 CFR 1910.134 respiratory protection standard requires that the respirator be certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), be appropriate for the intended use, and provide adequate protection against the hazardous exposure. The standard does not require the employer to provide a more protective respirator if its use is not warranted by the hazardous exposure.
Does beard growth prevent a good face seal?
As has already been stated, it is OSHA's policy to enforce [29 CFR 1910.134 (g) (1) (i) (A)]. Also, as already stated, it has been shown that beard growth prevents a good face seal. The regulatory language in the paragraph does not make any exceptions when fit testing shows that a good fit has been achieved for persons with beards. Also, seeing that facial-hair growth occurs daily and, thus, fit testing performed on a previous day may not be valid for the day the respirator is worn, OSHA cannot concur with your hospital policy as an allowable exception to the requirement in [1910.134 (g) (1) (i) (A)].
Can you wear a beard with a respirator?
The OSHA standard does allow beards with the use of respirators that do not rely on a tight facepiece seal between the respirator inlet covering and the underlying skin (i.e., both loose fitting helmets and hoods are acceptable in this regard). In response to your list of questions, the following is provided: 1.
Can you use a respirator to protect your beard?
Beard growth at points where the seal with the face and respirator occurs is a condition that has been shown by numerous studies to prevent a good face seal. Copies of relevant articles documenting this have been enclosed. Thus an employer using a respirator to protect an employee with a growth of beard where the seal is compromised by the beard growth is violating [29 CFR 1910.134 (g) (1) (i) (A)]. The OSHA standard does allow beards with the use of respirators that do not rely on a tight facepiece seal between the respirator inlet covering and the underlying skin (i.e., both loose fitting helmets and hoods are acceptable in this regard).
Can you shave your beard in TB isolation?
Obviously then, O.SH.A.'s position is that any beard style is fine when not in a "TB" isolation room, and a beard need only be shaved in the area of the face mask seal if it interferes with the seal, and then only prior to entering the "TB isolation room.
Can you fit test a respirator?
No: our respiratory protection standard only requires that the user of a respirator be fit tested. The fit-test method accepted can be either quantitative or qualitative. As previously mentioned, there have been numerous studies conducted that have shown that individuals with a beard or beard growth cannot consistently achieve an adequate face to respirator seal.
How many microns does a N95 mask block?
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an N95 respirator blocks at least 95 percent of very small airborne particles down to 0.3 microns (one micron = one millionth of a meter). Gases, vapors, and other particles in the air that respirator masks are meant to prevent the wearer from breathing in will take the path of least resistance to bypass the respirators filter.
How many styles of facial hair are there?
You might think a master guide to 36 styles of facial hair means the CDC knows more about beards than barbers do. But upon further inspection, some of the advice is a bit counterintuitive.
When did the CDC start putting facial hair infographics?
The facial hair infographic dates back to a November 2017 CDC blog post, just in time for the hairy #NoShaveNovember workers who would need to understand the ins and outs of donning a respirator mask in hazardous environments.
How to check a positive pressure seal?
During a positive pressure seal check, you should exhale gently while blocking the paths for exhaled breath to exit the facepiece. If your fit is correct, the facepiece will be slightly pressurized before increased pressure causes outward leakage.
What happens when you inhale during a negative pressure seal check?
During a negative pressure seal check, you must inhale sharply while blocking the paths for inhaled breath to enter the facepiece. If this version of the check is successful, your facepiece will slightly collapse under the negative pressure that is created.
How thick is a beard?
N95 masks protect you from airborne particles down to 0.3 microns, but hair thickness ranges from 1/1500 to 1/500 of an inch in diameter. So if we assume each of your beard hairs are .002 inches thick in diameter, that translates to 50.8 microns. That's going to create a COVID-19 size entryway.
Does facial hair affect the seal on a N95 mask?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a guide to facial hair and respirator mask fit that's way more detailed than you'd probably expect. It turns out the presence of any facial hair can impact the seal of your N95 respirator mask.
Can you wear a Van Dyke mask with a respirator?
Concern about whether your Van Dyke is compatible with a respirator mask isn't a matter of fashion, but function. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has offered up an impressive illustrated chart with myriad ways someone could trim a beard, mustache or other facial hair that allows for a tight seal when you're wearing a respirator.
Do mustaches work with masks?
CDC chart breaks down what mustaches do and don't work with respirator masks. When it comes to protecting yourself from the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says go with smaller mustaches over full beards. For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites.
Can discussion threads be closed?
We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion.
Why do people with facial hair need respirators?
This way they will be able to breathe easy on the job regardless of how much hair they have on their face.
What is the best helmet for facial hair?
The Allegro Nova 2000 Abrasive Helmet Airline System 9285-01 is another great choice for those with facial hair. It works with safety glasses and all types of facial hair. It’s best used in heavy blasting applications. Workers receive air from a source that’s independent of the ambient area, so they can blast sand or another substance without cutting off their air supply.
Can a respirator fit a person with hair on their face?
When a person has hair on their face, some respirators may not fit them properly. Respirators are only effective when they are tight-fitting and flush with the skin, otherwise harmful toxins and chemicals may seep into the breathing zone, which may result in a range of health complications.
Do you have to wear a respirator on November?
It’s almost No Shave November, or Movember as it’s often called, and that means many of your male employees may be sporting facial hair in the weeks to come. Some of your employees may already have thick beards and mustaches, but all that extra hair can be a hazard for those that need to wear respirators on the job, including those that work in construction, mining, and manufacturing. Your employees must wear respirators on the job when exposed to hazardous chemicals and airborne compounds, regardless of how much hair they have on their faces. But finding respirators that fit men with facial hair isn’t always easy.
Can you keep beards on a hood?
Or, in cases where employees’ skills are valuable, employer s may allow those workers to keep their beards if they change to a hood. However, a hood can’t take cartridges or filters – it requires a positive pressure solution (powered air purifying or supplied air).
Can you put hair between your face and respirator?
Beards are not designed to filter out these tiny particles. Gas and vapor molecules are even smaller. If someone is trusting their respirator to protect them from a harmful atmosphere, having hair between their face and the respirator seal is not a good idea and is not allowed by OSHA.
Does facial hair interfere with seal?
Anthony Fewkes. May 12, 2019. The standards say that you must not have facial hair that interferes with the seal, if you are able to pass a portacount test then the facial hair clearly does not interfere with the seal. Post Comment Report Abusive Comment.
Is facial hair allowed on tight fitting respirators?
Facial hair that interferes with the sealing surface of the respirator or the valve function is not allowed when using a tight fitting respirator. This is clearly stated in the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard 1910.134.
Can you shave your face in a contaminated area?
In all instances, however, facial hair never is allowed. If a worker refuses to shave, he cannot work in the contaminated area using a tight-fitting facepiece. The supervisor may have the worker reassigned to another area not requiring respiratory protection.
Can you break a mask with facial hair?
Although a worker might pass the PortaCount on a particular day, facial hair still represents an unacceptable risk of breaking the mask’s face seal. Really, the worker needs to be clean-shaven. The exceptions might be a small “soul patch” underneath the lip or a mustache so small that the seal of the mask never touches it.
What does OSHA say about facial hair?
As stated in OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.134 (g) (1) (i) (A), employers “shall not permit respirators with tight-fitting face-pieces to be worn by employees who have facial hair that comes between the sealing surface of the face-piece and the face or that interferes with valve function.”.
Do you have to clean your beard on fit testing day?
Your employee's beard should be no longer on fit testing day than any other day of the year.
Can you wear facial hair on a respirator?
When it comes to wearing a respirator, there is little to no leeway for facial hair. While many men favor wearing facial hair, beards do not allow for a proper respirator fit. While there are a very small number of acceptable types of facial hair, most of the popular styles are prohibited. It is best for all employees who wear respiratory ...
Do examiners shave after fit test?
When Examinetics technicians visit client worksites, they too often encounter employees who only shave for the fit test. Before and after the fit test, mustaches and beards are grown to any amount of length.
Can bearded employees shave their faces?
There may be options for some bearded employees who don’t want to shave, based on the resources and respiratory protection plan on your worksite. While a clean-shaven face is required for tight-fitting facepieces, a bearded employee may be able to use a hooded respirator like a Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPR).
Can a respirator be worn with beard hair?
Beard hair can render a respirator nearly useless. Without a solid fit, the respirator cannot protect against gases, particles and other unwanted airborne materials that can enter an employee's mouth and nose. See the diagram below from NIOSH to use as a guide for your employees.
Can you wear facial hair under your chin?
In fact, the only facial hair acceptable are small, neatly trimmed mustaches or beards bordering only the mouth of the employee. All facial hair under the chin or cheeks is prohibited for respirator wearing use . That includes small, neat beards or goatees that fit within a respirator.
Why is facial hair important in a respirator?
Ensuring the respirator seal is a vital part of respiratory protection practices. Facial hair that lies along the sealing area of a respirator, such as beards, sideburns, or some mustaches, will interfere with respirators that rely on a tight facepiece seal to achieve maximum protection. Facial hair is a common reason that someone cannot be fit ...
Is there a dress code for No Shave November?
So then, how are you going to participate? Luckily, the rules of No Shave November state, “Strict dress-code at work? Don’t worry about it! We encourage participation of any kind; grooming and trimming are perfectly acceptable.” And Movember is all about the mustaches.
Is facial hair dense?
While human hair appears to be very thin to the naked eye, hair is much larger in size than the particles inhaled. Facial hair is just not dense enough and the individual hairs are too large to capture particles like an air filter does; nor will a beard trap gases and vapors like the carbon bed in a respirator cartridge.
Can you use a loose fitting respirator for beard?
As we mentioned in another recent NIOSH Science Blog, Understanding respiratory protection options in Healthcare: The Overlooked Elastomeric, loose-fitting PAPRs may be used when fit testing fails or when facial hair is present. However, this may not be a feasible option for all beard-eager professionals out there.
When should a respirator not be worn?
Response: The Respiratory Protection standard, paragraph 29 CFR 1910.134 (g) (1) (i) (A), states that respirators shall not be worn when facial hair comes between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face or that interferes with valve function.
Do mustaches violate 1910.134?
Short mustaches, sideburns, and small goatees that are neatly trimmed so that no hair compromises the seal of the respirator usually do not present a hazard and, therefore, do not violate paragraph 1910.134 (g) (1) (i).