Enabling a better working world
The effect of facial
stubble on RPE fit
April 2015
Mike Clayton
PPE Technical Team Lead
Shirley Frost and Rhiannon Mogridge
Health and Safety Laboratory
Health and Safety Executive
Enabling a better working world
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IOHA 2015
Background

Tight-fitting facepieces rely on an effective
faceseal

RPE guidance/user instructions
– Wearer to be clean-shaven

Studies have shown effectiveness of full
facemasks is significantly reduced if the wearer
has facial hair
– (Bolsover, 1992; Stobbe et al, 1988; Skretvedt and Loschiavo,
1984; Hyatt et al, 1973)

Little data on disposable facepieces and half
masks
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Comments from RPE wearers………
“I shave for my wife not my boss!”
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IOHA 2015
Research objective

To understand how the quality of fit changes over time
due to facial hair growth
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Methodology

15 male volunteers

7 FFP3, 2 half masks

Fit tested from clean-shaven to 7
days of stubble growth

Fit tested using Portacount model
8030

Each volunteer tested with 3
FFP3 and 1 half mask
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FFP3 filtering facepieces
Type 1: Smooth surfaced foam
material
Type 2: Knitted fabric covering a
smooth material
Type 3: The edge of the filtering
material forms the faceseal
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Elastomeric half mask
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Smooth surfaced foam material
7
V1
6
V3
V11
5
V12
% Inward Leakage
V13
V14
4
days
22 days
V13
V11
V16
3
2
1% IL = Fit Factor of 100
1
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Time since shave (days)
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8
IOHA 2015
Knitted fabric faceseal
7
V1
V3
V4
6
V5
V7
V8
5
% Inward leakage
V12
V13
V15
4
72
days
7days
days
V13
V13
V5
3
2
1
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Time since shave (days)
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IOHA 2015
Filtering material faceseal
7
V1
V4
6
V6
V7
V8
5
V9
% Inward leakage
V11
V13
4
V14
V15
7 days
V9
3
2 days
V9
2
1
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Time since shave (days)
Enabling a better working world
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IOHA 2015
Elastomeric half mask
7
V2
6
V3
V5
V6
5
V7
% Inward Leakage
V11
V12
V13
4
V15
3
2
1
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Time since shave (days)
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Volunteer 3
7
F2
F5
6
F6
F9
% Inward Leakage
5
4
7 days
2 days
3
2
1
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Time since shave (days)
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8
IOHA 2015
Volunteer 12
7
F2
F5
6
F6
F9
% Inward Leakage
5
4
3
2 days
7 days
2
1
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Time since shave (days)
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8
IOHA 2015
Overall effect
Average for volunteer V3 with FFP
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Findings

Quality of fit is reduced where stubble is present

May begin within 24 hours from shaving

Increases as facial hair grows

Specific to the facepiece/wearer combination
– Elastomeric facepieces more forgiving

Is unpredictable
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Conclusion

Facial hair can reduce the quality of fit

Guidance on wearers being clean shaven should be
followed
.... hair which has not been shaved within the previous
8 hour period (BSEN529)
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Enabling a better working world
Questions?
Mike Clayton
PPE Technical Team Lead
Health and Safety Laboratory
Health and Safety Executive
email: mike.clayton@hsl.gsi.gov.uk
Phone: +44 (0)1298 218332
Widest science base of any equivalent
laboratory
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