One of the sad trends we continue to see in OSH centers around the use of respirators and facial hair. OSHA has stated more times that I can count on two hands that facial hair is NOT allowed in the face-to-mask seal area. In fact, personnel are NOT even permitted to be fit-tested if they have facial hair. And yet we still see personnel who are in respirator programs with full beards; this year we have even seen workers with full beards wearing respirators in clear violation of their company’s policy/procedures. The argument put forth is the same lame argument I have been hearing for nearly 30 years (going all the way back to my days as a firefighter)… ‘”I can get a good seal with my beard, so why can’t I XXXXXXX”. The answer is simple and can be stated in a one-word response: CONSISTENCY.
Even though a worker passed a fit test (albeit improperly) with some facial hair, the length and thickness of that facial hair will not be the same weeks/months later. This can be seen clearly from the 1983 study by McGee and Oestenstad where they tested this theory. And yes, a lot has changed since 1983; however, facial hair on humans has NOT! Here are the scientific studies OSHA/NIOSH have used over the years: