Ill-fitting clothing is unflattering. Ill-fitting shoes are uncomfortable and ill-fitting protective equipment is unfit for purpose and therefore unsafe. This fact is recognized in law.
For example, the law requires that almost all protective masks be face-fit tested to ensure that they provide effective protection. The sole exception is powered hoods (also known as air-fed hoods).
(You should only use Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) after you have taken all other reasonably practicable measures to prevent or control exposure. By going through the risk assessment process, you can determine whether the use of RPE is necessary in your workplace. If you write your justification for using RPE on your risk assessment record you should remember the reasons behind your chosen control regime and be able to adapt it in the future as necessary.)
With that in mind, here is a quick guide to what you need to know about RPE.
All staff must be individually face-fit tested
You wouldn’t expect all your staff to wear a standard-size pair of shoes so you shouldn’t expect them to wear a standard-size face mask.
Each member of staff has to be individually face-fit tested and they need to be clean-shaven for the test. They also need to be clean-shaven at any time they work using the mask.
The reason for this is that any facial hair, even stubble, will prevent the mask from forming a tight seal with the face and, basically, render it useless.
If a member of staff has to wear a beard for religious reasons (or any other acceptable reason) then the only compliant option is to issue them with a powered hood.
For completeness, if a member of staff has to wear more than one type of face mask, then they need to be face fit tested for each of the face masks that…
