-Carola Mittag
I have always been a fan of men with beards. There is no rhyme or reason to my preference as I had no male figures in my younger years sporting any type of facial hair. It piqued my interest as to why men choose to grow beards which, as we all know, seem to be more common now than ever. It’s a trend that refuses to be trimmed back.

To satisfy my curiosity I did a little, very superficial online research as to why men grow beards. “As modern men reassess, and reconstruct their own sense of masculinity, they still can’t help but wonder: do women like beards? The beard has remained a constant sign of rugged, manly pride. Not just that, but it’s also become a key fashion accessory: big hipster bushes; designer stubble; outdoorsy-type hunter-gatherer growth; ridiculous Guinness Book of World Record-level moustaches; and intelligent professor-like beards. According to science, they can be a symbol of alpha male dominance, social status, and a means of sending sexy (or if you’re beard’s a mess, un-sexy) signals to prospective suitors.” FASHIONBEANS

More and more people are required to wear respirators to protect them at work. The critical question becomes is proper protection provided by a respirator when a worker sports a beard? The bottom line is that facial hair between the skin and face seal of the respirator will interfere with the seal of the respirator. Facial hair represents an unacceptable risk of breaking the mask’s face seal. Really, the worker needs to be clean-shaven.

Workers have become creative when trying to integrate having a beard and wearing a protective respirator; anywhere, from putting Vaseline on the sealing surface of the respirator or the beard to using athletic bands and clips to confine the hair.

Employers and workers must adhere to the CSA Z94.4 which states that tight-fitting respirators are not permitted to be worn by employees who have facial hair that comes between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face or that interferes with the valve function. Below is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) poster which helps workers determine which facial hairstyles are acceptable to use with filtering facepiece respirators.

While I might find beards attractive, I understand that sporting a beard does require men to be more attentive to their grooming habits as well as the impact their facial hair can have in the workplace.

MENTOR SAFETY experts will help you ensure that your respirators are correct for the job, your workers are fitted properly for utmost protection, and that your legislative requirements are being met.

Call us @ 519-870-6930 to book your Respiratory PPE Fit Test (Qualitative)

Or fill out this form to schedule:
https://forms.office.com/r/qfgR7UeaEt