Hello, Im looking for some advice- Last stop saloon. 

I have a few employees who couldn't undertake face fit testing due to:

A) Medical reasons, Skin conition- HR Involved to refer them to Employee Assistance. 

B) Refused to shave off beard- Non religious reason. 

We have two types of fitted face masks and a spray shop helment, powered assisted for the sprayers.

We already purchase these, and these are what are fitted to the lads. Its taken 2 masks to get everyones face shapes fitted to something, so not without trying. 

Anyway my query is regards the guys who refuse to shave their beards, because its fashionable. These guys are not youngesters, So not as easy to persuade. The face fit tester i had in, said he remembered some internet advice where it said you can ask the employee to purchase their hood, because the choice of growing a beard was after they were employed. Does anyone remember this? 

I get you can remove them from the task, But these guys are joiners. So not as easy

I'd go further than Kate. You can't make them or even ask them to pay for hoods. That would be a breach of Section 9 of HSWA. Whoever told you could 'ask' them to buy their own hoods simply does not understand the requirements or principles of the HSWA or the PPE Regs. Given they were supposed to be providing a H&S service, I find this quite worrying!

You can't force your staff to shave, or even be clean-shaven at work. 

It is the employer's legal duty to find and provide suitable PPE for their employees, not for employees to have to make changes to themselves to make the employer's preferred PPE suitable.

Tony.

Taking it one stage further what actions have been put in place to eliminate the hazard without recourse to the last resort in the hierarchy of PPE?

TBH I would prefer something that keeps possible contamination away from my eyes, skin & hair rather than something that just protects my airways.

If you consider these additional controls to fully protect the workers then maybe face fit testing for RPE is doing them a diservice by not providing hoods.

On tool extraction / Extraction benches - more than one way to skin the proverbial

Originally Posted by: cerisa

The face fit tester.....said he remembered some internet advice where it said you can ask the employee to purchase their hood.

Seriously don't think such a statement appeared on these forum.

A few of the examples where face fit / clean shaven has been discussed:

http://forum.iosh.co.uk/posts/t130166-HELP---How-can-I-get-people-to-stay-clean-shaven-for-dust-masks

http://forum.iosh.co.uk/posts/t129642-clean-shaven-policy-template

http://forum.iosh.co.uk/posts/t127440-PSNI-Clean-Shaven-Policy-Challenged

http://forum.iosh.co.uk/posts/t124848-Clean-shaven

http://forum.iosh.co.uk/posts/t119945--Clean-Shaven--requirements-for-RPE

http://forum.iosh.co.uk/posts/t131677-Post-COVID-Face-Fit-Testing

http://forum.iosh.co.uk/posts/t128891-Face-fit-policy

"Internet advice" not being legal statute and regulation.

Hi cerisa

Without reading all the links that Roundtuit has so helpfully highlighted....

Many years ago there was research done that indicates that "clean shaven" policies are of limited value. Many workers would need to shave again during shift to maintain their face fit.

However, now that you clarified the processes, I think you might want to look at how much dust is being generated in the breathing zone at the individual's worker's own personal station. 

IFF they are doing hand sanding (particularly if not with a powered sander) of bespoke furniture (at this stage largely to be put together in ye old fashioned way) then possibly the dust levels emitted are such as to expose the workers to levels that are so far below the Work Exposure Limits as to not justify much in the way of precautions - i.e. enforcing the use of RPE might not be reasonably practicable, enforcing a "clean shaven" policy even less so.

Pirelli, that playne on words, was soft wood pineful.

Edited by user 05 October 2022 10:07:24(UTC)  | Reason: Typo

The use of fitted masks may have unintended consequences for those with underlying health issues

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11968623/Coroner-warns-16million-buyers-Decathlon-face-snorkel-masks-swimmer-63-dies.html

Anyone recall seeing a warning on RPE or is it a case the manufacturers have presumed rude health in users?

Will put my tin hat on for this reply..... PPE needs to be supplied free of charge so you can’t ask them to buy their own.

However, I was always under the impression that certain jobs you can write it into the employment contract that they are clean shaven if it’s that important, I.e. pilots as they need to land the plane in low oxygen etc.