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. Besides being in limited supply, there are a number of reasons why wearing a P2/N95 respirator is not advisable unless you are a health care worker or taking care of someone who may be infected. Facial hair is allowed as long as it does not protrude under the respirator seal, or extend far enough to interfere with the device's valve function. Facial hair and respirators: What's acceptable, what isn't "Respirator safety is a vital consideration for a variety of businesses." Since the mask would cover the entirety of your nose as well as your mouth, facial hair restricted to above your lip probably won’t interfere with the mask’s fit, unless of course your mustache is the size of a musk rat. Thank you for your interest in occupational safety and health. 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," states the CDC page for the No Shave November campaign. You may, however, want to hold off on a Toothbrush. No, not a sea mammal with flippers. CLEAN SHAVEN . Currently, I am a Professor of Health Policy and Management at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Public Health, Executive Director of PHICOR (@PHICORteam), Professor By Courtesy at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, and founder and CEO of Symsilico. Take a look at a CDC infographic, which shows 36 different facial hair styles and provides names for each of them, just in case you want to refer to your face in the … Facial hair and respirators. A notice published by NIOSH last month updates the agency’s position regarding facial hair and the selection and use of respiratory protective devices, and clarifies the NIOSH definition of respirator-sealing surfaces. Your paraphrased question and our response is below. An employee who is required to wear a respirator may have hair that falls under the respirator straps, but is not permitted to have hair that interferes with the respirator's sealing surface. Facial hair between the skin and face seal of the respirator will interfere with the seal of the respirator. To keep apprised of such developments, you can consult OSHA's website at https://www.osha.gov. Facial Hair & Respirator Fit Testing Policy Background The purpose of this technical data bulletin is to reiterate 3M’s position on workers with facial hair and respirator fit testing based on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Respiratory Protection Standard [29 CFR 1910.134(g)(1)(i)]. That includes small, neat beards or goatees that fit within a respirator. In fact, some on social media have said that the CDC actually put this reference together in 2017 as general guidance for P2/N95 respirator use, which are much less permeable than standard surgical masks. Options for Limited Facial Hair. In general, however, beards present serious problems for tight-fitting facepiece respirators because their texture and density vary daily, causing unreliable respirator fit and, therefore, present a higher potential for leakage. Facial hair is a common reason that someone cannot be fit tested. The PureFlo ESM+ PF60 PAPR Welding Helmet PR05801-_-1_1 is a self-contained head mounted powered air-purifying respirator for those that work in heavy-duty industries. As they say in real estate, location, location, location. So even if this may be an older info-graphic, it still made the rounds and got reactions on social media. OSHA mandates that all employers requiring respirator usage have a written program. See 3/7/2003 and 4/1/2011 letters of interpretation to Senator Levin and Mr. Randy Southard, respectively (copies enclosed). Plus, after a while, as the respirator becomes more and more moist from water droplets in the air and your saliva-laden breath, it loses its ability to properly filter out small particles and microbes. Standard surgical masks won’t really protect you against small microbes like viruses. From time to time, letters are affected when the agency updates a standard, a legal decision impacts a standard, or changes in technology affect the interpretation. This includes the Circle Beard, which looks like what Robert Downey, Jr.’s Tony Stark character sports, the Imperial, the Extended Goatee, and the Van Dyke, a style named after the 17th-century Flemish painter and not Dick van Dyke, who starred in the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 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). That’s because respirators can only work if you have a good seal. If you had a Jason Mamoa Aquaman beard, how could you possibly have a mask fit tightly on your face? i g respirators . Not an actual toothbrush, because good dental hygiene is important, but the facial hairstyle listed as the “Toothbrush” on the CDC infographic. One example is this tweet, which marveled at the hairy care involved in putting this infographic together: That’s a lot of hairy styles, and they all don’t go in one direction. Mr. Matthew Sands The Bradley Cooper O’Clock shadow or any type of extensive stubble may be enough to lift the edges of the mask off of your face. This letter constitutes OSHA’s interpretation of the requirements discussed. 3M offers PAPR systems with headtops designed to accommodate limited facial hair, simplifying protection for more of … Media outlets stumbled on a 2017 info­graphic from the Centers for Disease Control showing which facial hair styles were OK with a standard respirator … I am a writer, journalist, professor, systems modeler, computational and digital health expert, avocado-eater, and entrepreneur, not always in that order. Facial hair and FFP3 respirators *Ensure that hair does not cross the respirator sealing surface For any style, hair should not cross or interfere with the respirator sealing surface. This letter constitutes OSHA’s interpretation only of the requirements herein, and may not be applicable to any questions not delineated within your original correspondence. We hope you find this information helpful. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for National Board of Review), Getty Images for National Board of Review, EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, Michigan Economic Development Corporation With Forbes Insights. Your letter has been referred to the Directorate of Enforcement Programs for an answer to your question. 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. Follow me on Twitter (@bruce_y_lee) but don’t ask me if I know martial arts. Individuals with mustaches and short goatees that do not interfere with the seal of the respirator can be fit tested and wear a respirator. Dr. Thomas explained that … The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a guide for you. Thomas Galassi, Director Rather what is needed is quantitative study of th … The effect of facial hair on the quality of fit obtained while wearing a tight-fitting respirator has been and continues to be a controversial subject. Say bye-bye to your French Fork, Ducktail, Verdi, Garibaldi, or Bandholz. 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 will cause the respirator to leak, so users should be clean-shaven. Facial hair that lies along the sealing area of a respirator, such as beards, sideburns, or mustaches will interfere with respirators that rely on a tight facepiece fit to achieve maximum protection. These two guidance documents and others can be found on the Respiratory Protection Safety and Health Topics page at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/respiratoryprotection/index.html. Facial hair is allowed as long as it does not protrude under the respirator seal, or extend far enough to interfere with the device's valve function. However, some other types of respirators do not require a face seal, and thus, usually can be worn with facial hair, such as loose fitting powered air-purifying respirators and hooded powered air-purifying respirators. This is the kind of mask that may protect you against small airborne microbes like the COVID-19 causing coronavirus if the mask is worn properly. Options for Use with Limited Facial Hair With any tight-fitting respirator, beards and other facial hair can be a problem, compromising the face … Not all facial hair is out of bounds, however. An employer may be required to provide and pay for a loose-fitting respirator such as a PAPR if an employee’s facial hair prevents him from wearing a tight-fitting respirator. My previous positions include serving as Executive Director of the Global Obesity Prevention Center (GOPC) at Johns Hopkins University, Associate Professor of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Associate Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh, and Senior Manager at Quintiles Transnational, working in biotechnology equity research at Montgomery Securities, and co-founding a biotechnology/bioinformatics company. Explains why you need to be clean shaven to make sure your respirator can protect you from breathing in contaminants. Facial Hair Friendly Respirators If you’re looking to get ready for No Shave November or you just hired an employee with facial hair, here are some popular facial hair respirators to keep in mind. 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 … Wearing a tinted glasses along with the soul patch will not affect the fit of the mask but may signal that you are undergoing a mid-life crisis. (Photo by The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images), When you see actor Jason Mamoa, seen here with, Aquaman co-star Amber Heard and director James Wan, is your first question, "how do I fit a respirator on him?" 3M offers a broad range of full-face and hooded respirators. OSHA’s requirements are set by statute, standards, and regulations. If your facial hair isn’t where the edge of the mask would normally rest, you may be OK with keeping it there. Your facial hair can really affect your ability to maintain this seal. N95 respirators are not designed for children or people with facial hair. General Information about Fit-Testing. Another part of your face that greatly affects mask fit is the area just below your sideburns, assuming that your sideburns are not unusually long. Question: If an employee with a neatly trimmed goatee is wearing a respirator and it does not interfere with the seal of the face piece or valve function, and has passed a fit test, does this meet the intent of the OSHA’s Respiratory Protection standard? It can make it more difficult for you to breathe. Cam Lock Ltd is one of the world’s leading specialists in the design and manufacture of personal protection life support systems. Workers can still rock some styles: Short mustaches, sideburns and small goatees, when neatly trimmed, may fit OSHA’s requirements for tight-fitting respirator use. According to the CDC, “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 … Note that our enforcement guidance may be affected by changes to OSHA rules. Facial hair is allowed as long as it does not protrude through the respirator seal or extend far enough to interfere with the device’s valve function.” OSHA and ANSI Z88.10-2010 prohibit fit testing respirators when facial hair is at the sealing surface of the respirator. To assure that you are using the correct information and guidance, please consult OSHA’s website at http://www.osha.gov. FR NCH ORK . Your letter requested clarification on OSHA’s Respiratory Protection standard, 29 CFR 1910.134, which addresses facial hair and respirator fit. I nt,e nded for wo rk,e rs who wear Ug ht-tt . "Facial hair is a common reason that someone cannot be fit tested." All facial hair under the chin or cheeks is prohibited for respirator wearing use. Surgical masks help prevent contamination when a person coughs or sneezes. Note that the fines for OSHA Citations have increased dramatically in the past several years. Beards usually require the use of a full-face respirator or hooded respirator to achieve a complete seal. Any type of extended sideburns such as mutton chops or the Hulihee could cross this area. It also tells you which facial hair styles would and would not work well with a “filtering facepiece respirator” like the P2/N95 respirator. Facial Hairstyles and Filtering Facepiece Respirators . Well, a CDC info-graphic has the answer. Throw into this group the Chin Curtain, a style that would allow you to easily answer the question, “does the curtain match the drapes?”. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The notice applies to all primary seals of tight-fitting full- and half-facepiece respirators and to tight-fitting respirator designs that rely on a neck dam seal. CDC. DUCKIAIL VERIDI GARIBA DI BAND:HO:lZ Facial hair can be frustrating when it comes to wearing a respirator because you need a tight facial seal for the respirator to work as intended. OSHA has addressed similar questions and outlined the Agency’s interpretation in letters posted on OSHA’s public website, www.osha.gov. Many OSHA Citations have been issued for facial hair along the respirator sealing surface. Beard hair can render a respirator nearly useless. The info-graphic does not specifically name the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak. Some types of facial hair are acceptable as long as the facial hair does not lie along the sealing area of the respirator. That program should include defining facial hair policies if tight-fitting respirator masks are used. In fact, if you insist on wearing such a facial hairstyle, you may want to wear a mask, like all the time. Directorate of Enforcement Programs, Occupational Safety & Health Administration, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respiratory Protection Standard, Inspection Procedures for the Respiratory Protection Standard, http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/respiratoryprotection/index.html, Severe Storm and Flood Recovery Assistance. Individuals must be clean-shaven to be fit tested, and also to wear an N95 or any other type of tight-fitting respirators effectively.Per Cal/OSHA standard, in situations where respiratory protection is a requirement, facial hair is only permitted if it does not cross the sealing surface of the tight-fitting respirator. So don’t expect to attend a 1990’s retro Beverly Hills 90210 cos-party and have a snug N95 respirator at the same time. Our interpretation letters explain these requirements and how they apply to particular circumstances, but they cannot create additional employer obligations. Thank you for your letter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). For example, what the CDC calls a Soul Patch, which is a small patch or tuft of hair growing directly under your bottom lip, may not interfere with the mask’s fit. As a replacement, you can choose any style on the CDC info-graphic that has a green check mark and be OK. Well, almost any of them. Facial hair can impact the effectiveness of the face seal. I have authored over 200 scientific publications and three books. With an impressive range of products including aircrew oxygen masks, CBRN Respirators, industrial working respirators, emergency escape sets and fire fighter breathing apparatus, Cam Lock leads the industry in respiratory life support. The areas of the skin, which contact the face or neck seal and nosecup seal, must be free of any hair. In addition, OSHA’s Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respiratory Protection Standard (#3384) and the compliance directive, Inspection Procedures for the Respiratory Protection Standard, CPL 02-00-158, provide additional information. With some respirator systems, beards and heavy sideburns can be a problem, compromising the seal of certain facepieces. Rather, in this case, a good seal means a tight fit between your face and the mask so that air and viruses can’t leak under the edges of the mask. Unlike N95 respirators that require a close shave, surgical masks don’t. Facial hair is allowed as long as it does not protrude under the respirator seal, or extend far enough to interfere with the device's valve function. You can see that some have green check marks while others have big red X’s. However, there are several safety- and human resources-related considerations. That would be weird. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images), An explosion of stubble occurred when actor Brad, Pitt met up with actor Bradley Cooper. However, according to a 2017 graphic regarding facial hair and respirator use shared by the health organisation, having a beard, stubble, or mutton … If you do have to wear a respirator, fear the beard. In fact, use of facemasks should be limited to those who show COVID-19 symptoms, health care workers, and others who are taking care of someone who may be infected. I am a writer, journalist, professor, systems modeler, computational and digital health expert, avocado-eater, and entrepreneur, not always in that order. MOST RESPIRATORY PROTECTION CITATIONS ARE CONSIDERED SERIOUS. If you are preparing for a date by grooming your facial hair and getting ready to wear a respirator mask, you are in luck. Also, from time to time we update our guidance in response to new information. If the respirator has an exhalation valve, hair within the sealed mask area should not impinge upon or contact the valve. Therefore, if you are going to go clean shaven, make sure that it is really clean and not dorm room toilet bowl clean. cdc facial hair filtering facepiece respirators coronavirus. I am a writer, journalist, professor, systems modeler, computational and digital health expert, avocado-eater, and entrepreneur, not always in that order. Think about it. Currently, I am. Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma 73523. Facial hair in the temple region of the face may or may not impact on the facial seal area of the respirator. Therefore, the Zorro, Lampshade, Walrus, Handlebar, Pencil, or Zappa should be fine. Our letters of interpretation do not create new or additional requirements but rather explain these requirements and how they apply to particular circumstances. Is actor Robert Downey Jr., wondering, "can I a, wear an N95 respirator with my circle beard?" Before you Brazilian wax your face, you don’t necessarily have to be completely clean shaven to achieve such a seal. © 2020 Forbes Media LLC. 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. If you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or nauseated, leave the patient room, remove your respirator, and get medical attention. The Soul Patch is the style in the lower left hand corner of the picture accompanying this tweet: Other names for the Soul Patch are the Douche Tag or Dork Tuft, names that are typically not used by the person who has the Soul Patch. See the diagram below from NIOSH to use as a guide for … Take a look at a CDC infographic, which shows 36 different facial hair styles and provides names for each of them, just in case you want to refer to your face in the third person. 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