The Standards Australia SF-010 Respiratory Protection Committee have recently published a ruling to AS/NZS 1715:2009 Selection Use and Maintenance respiratory protective equipment standard. It provides further clarification around AS/NZS 1715 requirements for tight-fitting respirators and facial hair.
In summary, there are no exceptions regarding facial hair and any tight-fitting respirator (negative or positive pressure) to comply with AS/NZS 1715. It also confirms that a positive pressure facepiece is to be fit tested in negative pressure to isolate the fit performance of the facepiece and the wearer.
It can be downloaded for free directly from the Standards Australia Store via the link below.
The document references sections from AS/NZS 1715 to support the ruling, though the reader needs to go back to the standard to read these sections. We have listed these sections below RESP- for easier reading in conjunction with the Ruling document as below.
Enquiry A
Can facial hair interfere with the face seal/sealing surface area for a tight-fitting full facepiece or half facepiece facemasks for respirators including Positive Pressure, Air-Supplied (continuous flow or positive pressure demand) or PAPR (continuous flow or positive pressure demand) respirators?
Ruling A
Yes.
Facial hair can interfere. AS/NZS 1715:2009 provides information regarding facial hair in Clauses 4.4.3.1, 4.5.5.2, 8.3 and B2 to B5 directly applying to the use of a tight-fitting full facepiece or half facepiece facemask for a respirator including positive pressure, air-supplied (continuous flow or positive pressure demand) or PAPR (continuous flow or positive pressure demand) respirators
4.4.3 Facial fit
4.4.3.1 General
Facial fit is a prime factor in obtaining good protection when utilizing half or full facepiece RPE and needs to be taken into account in the selection of a RPE.
Respirators incorporating close fitting facepieces rely on facial fit to prevent inward leakage of contaminants. Such RPE employing a full facepiece or half facepiece shall not be used by males who are not clean shaven about the cheeks, neck and jaw. Half facepiece RPE of this type shall not be used by those with moustaches where there is any chance of hair coming between the facepiece and the skin. Long hair may also impair the function of valves (see Clause 8.3) and positioning of head harness. Nevertheless, even with an excellent facial fit, all RPE will have some inward leakage of the ambient atmosphere as well as leakage through the outlet valve or valves.
RPE that maintains a positive pressure in the facepiece at all times provide a higher degree of protection than can be achieved with negative pressure types.
Positive pressure RPE may diminish the effect of poor facial fit but will not obviate the effect of leakage caused by facial hair (see Clause 8.3). Where conservation of the air supply is important, e.g. self-contained breathing apparatus, it should be recognized that any leakage, e.g. from the facial seal, increases air consumption and decreases service time. At high rates of work, beards and other facial hair may cause inward leakage even when using positive pressure RPE.
Clause 8.3 and Appendix B provide further information and requirements on facial fit.
4.5.5.2 Continuous flow PAPRs or air-supplied RPE
Although clean air is supplied into the facepiece of the device, negative pressure within the facepiece can be created if the wearer’s peak breathing rate exceeds the rate at which clean air is supplied. With PAPRs, the degree of negative pressure may not be severe and the wearer can still draw in filtered air through the filter even if the power supply fails completely.
With continuous flow devices, however, it is not possible to draw in clean air at a higher rate than the supply rate. If such devices are drawn negative, the facepiece sucks onto the face and severe inward leakage can occur.
Powered, continuous flow or positive pressure demand devices should therefore be matched to the wearer’s foreseeable work rates. (See Table 4.8 to ensure that the likelihood of generating negative pressure within the facepiece is minimized).
Facepieces shall be correctly fitted to minimize any leakage between the facepiece and the face. It is important that no facial hair, such as beard, moustache or sideburns, is allowed between the face seal and the face since it can adversely affect the fit of the facepiece. Stubble can affect the seal more than established facial hair since it holds the facepiece off the face.
8.3 FACIAL HAIR IN RPE FITTING
Facial hair lying between the sealing surface of a RPE facepiece and the wearer’s skin will prevent a good seal. Beards, moustaches and sideburns prevent satisfactory sealing. Long hair may also interfere with the operation of exhalation valves. The sealing problem is especially critical when close fitting facepieces are used. The reduction in pressure developed in the breathing zone of these respirators during inhalation may lead to leakage of contaminant into the facepiece where there is a poor seal. Therefore, individuals who have stubble (even a few days’ growth will cause excessive leakage of contaminant), a moustache, sideburns, or a beard which passes between the skin and the sealing surface should not wear a respirator which requires a facial seal.
Additional requirements and guidance on facial hair are given in Appendix B.
B2 BEARDS
Bearded persons cannot expect to achieve adequate respiratory protection when wearing a full facepiece or a half facepiece RPE. Accordingly, no one who requires respiratory protection shall wear either a full facepiece or half facepiece RPE over a beard. When the person at risk has a ‘bushy’ facial hairstyle, hair trapped between the lips and mouthpieces may prevent a satisfactory seal being obtained. For positive pressure supplied air full facepiece RPE, excessive leakage of air may result from the wearing of beards. At high rates of work, beards may cause inward leakage even when using positive pressure RPE.
B3 MOUSTACHES
Moustaches may interfere with the fit of a half facepiece respirator and the peripheral seal of a full facepiece respirator. For positive pressure supplied air full facepiece RPE, excessive leakage of air may result from the wearing of moustaches. At high rates of work, moustaches may cause inward leakage even when using positive pressure RPE. A moustache that interferes with the seal of the orinasal mask of a full facepiece will cause exhaled air to pass from the inner mask to the outer mask, resulting in an unacceptable accumulation of carbon dioxide in the inhaled air.
B4 SIDEBURNS
When a full facepiece is being worn, sideburns shall not extend below a line drawn through the top of the tragion (the notch in the cartilage of the ear just above and immediately in front of the earhole) and the canthus (corner) of the eye. This line is illustrated in Figure B1.
B5 STUBBLE GROWTH AND LONG HAIR
Stubble growth, depending on its length and stiffness may interfere with proper sealing of a facepiece and it is necessary that male wearers of respirators shave daily.
When the hair is worn long, particular care should be taken to ensure that none is trapped beneath the sealing surface.
Enquiry B
Are there any exemptions allowed in AS/NZS 1715:2009 for the use of a tight-fitting full facepiece or half facepiece facemask for a respirator including positive pressure, air-supplied (continuous flow or positive pressure demand) and PAPR (continuous flow or positive pressure demand) respirators when the wearer has facial hair within the sealing area of the facemask?
Ruling B
No.
There are no exemptions in AS/NZS 1715:2009 to allow for facial hair within the sealing area of the facemask.
Enquiry C
When fit testing a respirator including positive pressure, air-supplied (continuous flow or positive pressure demand) or PAPR (continuous flow or positive pressure demand) tight fitting full facepiece or half facepiece facemask, does this need to be done in negative pressure, i.e. motor turned off or when not under positive pressure?
Ruling C
Yes.
This is done to isolate and test the fit performance of the facepiece to the wearer than the overall effect provided for the facepiece used under positive pressure by the wearer. See Clause 4.4.3.1. See Clause 5.2.5.2 for PAPR positive pressure demand with full facepiece and half facepiece respirators.
4.4.3 Facial fit
4.4.3.1 General
Facial fit is a prime factor in obtaining good protection when utilizing half or full facepiece RPE and needs to be taken into account in the selection of a RPE.
Respirators incorporating close fitting facepieces rely on facial fit to prevent inward leakage of contaminants. Such RPE employing a full facepiece or half facepiece shall not be used by males who are not clean shaven about the cheeks, neck and jaw. Half facepiece RPE of this type shall not be used by those with moustaches where there is any chance of hair coming between the facepiece and the skin. Long hair may also impair the function of valves (see Clause 8.3) and positioning of head harness. Nevertheless, even with an excellent facial fit, all RPE will have some inward leakage of the ambient atmosphere as well as leakage through the outlet valve or valves.
RPE that maintains a positive pressure in the facepiece at all times provide a higher degree of protection than can be achieved with negative pressure types.
Positive pressure RPE may diminish the effect of poor facial fit but will not obviate the effect of leakage caused by facial hair (see Clause 8.3). Where conservation of the air supply is important, e.g. self-contained breathing apparatus, it should be recognized that any leakage, e.g. from the facial seal, increases air consumption and decreases service time. At high rates of work, beards and other facial hair may cause inward leakage even when using positive pressure RPE.
Clause 8.3 and Appendix B provide further information and requirements on facial fit.
5.2.5.2 PAPR with full facepiece or half facepiece
The air delivery may either be continuous or positive pressure demand.
Continuous flow—The volume of air supplied is more than that required by the wearer. The pressure inside the facepiece or head covering is greater than that of the immediate environment. The pressure is controlled mainly by the degree of restriction to the escaping air, e.g. facial fit, outlet valve resistance, the presence of a neck bib and shoulder cape or integral jacket or suit.
Positive pressure demand—The pressure within the facepiece remains greater than the immediate environment during use. The demand valve opens to supply air to the wearer when the positive pressure inside the facepiece decreases to a preset minimum. This type of system is used with a close fitting facepiece.
In case of a fan unit failure, the wearer is able to inhale through the filters and so receive emergency respiratory protection, although at a greater inhalation resistance considerably reduced protection levels than the power-on-mode.
Enquiry D
Are there possible changes occurring in the future to Standards to allow the use of a tight-fitting full facepiece or half facepiece facemask for a respirator including positive pressure, air-supplied (continuous flow or positive pressure demand) and PAPR (continuous flow or positive pressure demand) respirators when the wearer has facial hair?
Ruling D
Yes.
Research required
Standards Australia Committee SF-010, Occupational Respiratory Protection, as well as the International Committee ISO/TC 94/SC 15, Respiratory protective devices, are currently discussing and reviewing available information and studies on facial hair and the use of respirators as to whether further changes to the fit testing arrangements and the use of facial hair with respirators can be considered within the appropriate standards. This includes a review of the Singh Thattha (beard wrapping) technique.
Some Australian State Health Departments have adopted use of this technique, and users should consult with their relevant Health Department or Work Health Safety regulator to determine the requirements in their jurisdiction.
-End of Ruling Document-
If you have any questions regarding respiratory protection or resapirator fit testing please do not hesitate to reach out to RESP-FIT at any time.
