You can buy the hoods separately and make them personal issue, while reusing the rest of the set.

@craigroberts76

I have had this issue myself for many years.

I would suggest that if they are transient workers and cannot be supervised and monitored daily, I would formulate a daily risk assessment in which the technicians would complete, not only would this be good to identify hazards in the work area but also to identify if the technician has been face fit tested, is the mask adequate, free from damages and is the technician clean shaven, if any of these are no then I would cease work activities.

I would also remind the management of their duties and that they have a legal duty to - Provide Arrangements for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances

If the transient workers work in teams then I would attempt to ensure that there is at least one clean shaven technician to undertake spraying activities.

If the beard is for religious reasons then I would respect the religion and compromise to purchase the air power hoods for these individuals, but if a beard is for a fashion statement I would deem this unacceptable. The company has provided RPE which is suitable and sufficient(half mask) and the technician has compromised their own safety.

It is the employees duties to: 1.Take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by your actions at work 2. Co-operate with employers and co-workers to help everyone meet their legal requirements.

Also the air powered hoods requires a separate face fit test then the FFP3 dust masks.

Hope this helps

William 

ouch.. over £630+VAT for the hood and kit.  This would also introduce another risk, of the hood being torn in places through wear and tear.

As workers have historically been allowed to get away with it, its made my job of enforcement so much harder

Good luck with expecting persons to remove their beards.

Better prepare for a rash of bad paint jobs, increased abscence and a dramatic increase in the use for facemasks (which are not exactly in good supply at the moment).

You also need eye protection along with the facemasks, which tend to fog-up fairly quickly.

Allow me to introduce you to the not-cheapskate 21st century, and air-fed hoods. They work well, they do the job required and better than facemasks. The employees do not get tired as fast. You may also need informing as to the requirement for frequent breaks from work for those using passive RPE.

You don't need to change the pump unit or the headshield for different users, just wipe with whatever.

Here, have a read: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pUbns/priced/hsg53.pdf