NIOSH Conformity Assessment Interpretation 

Notice

NIOSH CA 2018-1005

Revised November 2018

 

NIOSH Respirator Approval Program’s updated position regarding facial hair 

and the selection and use of respiratory protective devices

Revised. Supersedes the August 2018 version and the October 2, 2006 

Letter to All Respirator Manufacturers
Document Number

NIOSH CA 2018-1005R1.0

Page 2 of 7

1 SUMMARY

NIOSH published this notice to clarify the October 2, 2006 NIOSH “Letter to all Manufacturers” titled: 

NIOSH Policy for Respirator Sealing Surfaces and Facial Hair. This revised notice clarifies the NIOSH 

definition of respirator sealing surfaces, including the primary seal, and facial stubble. This revised 

notice supersedes the October 2, 2006 letter and the August 2018 version of NIOSH CA 2018-1005. 

Specific to the evaluations completed as part of the NIOSH Respirator Approval Program, and testing to 

assess the fit characteristics of all respirator designs, NIOSH test subjects are required to be cleanshaven in order to participate on the test panel selected.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Respiratory Protection Standard 29 Code of 

Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.134 paragraph (g)(1)(i) states, “The employer shall not permit 

respirators with tight-fitting facepieces to be worn by employees who have: (A) Facial hair that comes 

between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face or that interferes with valve function; or (B) 

Any condition that interferes with the face-to-facepiece seal or valve function.” 

The OSHA requirement is interpreted as: When a respirator is required, an employer is prohibited 

from allowing respirators with tight-fitting facepieces to be worn by employees who have “facial hair 

that comes between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face, or that interferes with valve 

function. Facial hair is allowed, as long as it does not protrude under the respirator seal, or extend far 

enough to interfere with the device's valve function.”

Specific to the required individual workplace fit test, NIOSH continues to support the OSHA 

regulations. In this case, regarding the employee’s facial hair, 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

Part 1910 Appendix A, Part I, (A)(9) states, “The test shall not be conducted if there is any hair growth 

between the skin and the facepiece sealing surface, such as stubble beard growth, beard, mustache or 

Subject: NIOSH Respirator Approval Program’s updated position regarding facial 

hair and the selection and use of respiratory protective devices
Document Number

NIOSH CA 2018-1005R1.0

Page 3 of 7

sideburns which cross the respirator sealing surface. Any type of apparel which interferes with a 

satisfactory fit shall be altered or removed.”

2 AUTHORITY

42 C.F.R. Part 84, Respiratory Protective Devices

Subpart H, Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)

Subpart G, Gas masks

Subpart J, Supplied-air respirators (SAR)

Subpart K, Non-powered air-purifying particulate respirators (APR)

Subpart L, Chemical cartridge respirators (APR)

Subpart KK, Powered air-purifying particulate respirators (PAPR)

3 BACKGROUND and SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

OSHA and ANSI Z88.10-2010 prohibit fit testing when facial hair is at the sealing surface of the 

respirator. OSHA’s Fit Testing Procedures, 29 CFR 1910.134 Appendix A, Part I, (A)(9), states “The test 

shall not be conducted if there is any hair growth between the skin and the facepiece sealing surface, 

such as stubble beard growth, beard, mustache or sideburns which cross the respirator sealing surface. 

Any type of apparel which interferes with a satisfactory fit shall be altered or removed.”

Facial hair that lies along the sealing area of the respirator, such as beards, sideburns, moustaches, or 

even a few days growth of stubble1, should not be permitted on employees who are required to wear 

respirators that rely on tight facepiece fit to achieve maximum protection. Facial hair between the 

wearer’s skin and the sealing surfaces of the respirator will prevent a good seal. A respirator that 

permits negative air pressure inside the facepiece during inhalation may allow leakage and, in the case 

of positive pressure devices, will either reduce service time or waste breathing air. A worker should not 

enter a contaminated work area when conditions prevent a good seal of the respirator facepiece to the 

face. [NIOSH, 1987, “NIOSH Guide to Industrial Respiratory Protection”]

An up-to-date clarification of this NIOSH position is as follows: 

Facial hair that lies along the sealing area of the respirator, such as beards, sideburns, moustaches, or 

even more than one day or 24 hours of growth of stubble, should not be permitted on employees who 

are required to wear respirators that rely on tight facepiece fit. Facial hair either growing in or 

 1 A few days growth of stubble is any facial hair growth that is older than 24 hours [ANSI 2010, OSHA 2012].
Document Number

NIOSH CA 2018-1005R1.0

Page 4 of 7

protruding into the area of the primary sealing surfaces2 of the respirator will prevent a good seal. Any 

degradation to the respirator seal has the potential to decrease respiratory protection to the wearer. 

Respirators that normally support a negative pressure in the facepiece will have an increased potential 

to allow leakage of contaminated air into the facepiece. Respirators designed to maintain a positive 

facepiece pressure will suffer from reduced service time along with wasting breathing air during use. A 

worker should not enter a contaminated work area when conditions prevent a good seal of the 

respirator facepiece to the face.

This interpretation applies to all primary seals of tight-fitting full and half-facepiece respirators, as well 

as tight-fitting respirator designs that rely on a neck dam seal. 

Nose cups present in tight-fitting full facepieces that do not perform primary sealing functions are not 

considered part of the primary seal. Facial hair in this area should not interfere with respiratory 

protection of the facepiece. In these cases, facial hair is permitted. However, wearers must be trained 

to ensure facial hair does not grow in size or length and subsequently protrude under the primary 

sealing surface of the respirator.

If a respirator covering includes a hood design and is the primary seal around the neck of the wearer, 

facial hair, such as a full beard, cannot be present in the area of the seal. Additionally, if a hood design 

includes a primary seal within the hood, by including a component covering the mouth, nose and chin 

of the wearer (similar to a typical half-mask), facial hair cannot be present in the area of the seal of this 

component. In the event that the respirator design incorporates any one of these sealing mechanisms, 

facial hair must be prevented from interfering with the sealing surface and the function of the 

respirator during use. 

This interpretation does not apply to loose-fitting hood or helmet respirator designs such as those used 

on Powered Air-Purifying Respirators, Supplied-Air Respirators and Constant-Flow Escape type SelfContained Breathing Apparatus that utilize only capes or shrouds for primary seals. With these type 

respirators, careful consideration must be given in using these loose-fitting face coverings to assure 

that they do not have a neck dam, a face seal or an integrated, tight-fitting half-mask. These 

respirators, utilizing only capes or shrouds as primary seals, may then be selected and used by workers 

with facial hair.

Escape-only types of air-purifying respirators are not required by OSHA to be fit tested, but special care 

must be exercised when they are being carried for potential use. For all tight-fitting, escape-only 

respirators, precautions must be taken to assure that the seal needed for effective use will not be 

 2 The primary seal and primary sealing surface are that part of the respirator that touch the wearer’s facial areas (near the 

nose and mouth for half-mask respirators and including around the eyes for full-facepiece respirators) that provide a gas or 

dust-tight seal in order to protect the user from the outside contaminant(s).
Document Number

NIOSH CA 2018-1005R1.0

Page 5 of 7

affected by facial hair or body hair in the event the respirator is needed for escape from a toxic 

atmosphere. 

Mouth-bit type escape-only respirators are inherently unaffected by facial hair, face size, or neck size

and their use and fitting characteristics are not dependent on these features.
Document Number

NIOSH CA 2018-1005R1.0

Page 6 of 7

4 REFERENCES

Approval of Respiratory Protective Devices, 42 C.F.R, Part 84

NIOSH Policy for Respirator Sealing Surfaces and Facial Hair, October 2, 2006

OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard 29 CFR 1910.134

OSHA Standard Interpretations, Facial Hair Under Seal of Tight-fitting Respirator, September 14, 2012

OSHA 1910.134 Appendix A, Fit Testing Procedures (Mandatory)

OSHA Instruction, effective June 26, 2014

ANSI/AIHA/ASSE-Z88.10 Respirator Fit Testing Methods 2010 Edition

NIOSH Guide to Industrial Respiratory Protection, p119

NIOSH Science Blog, To Beard or not to Beard?
Document Number

NIOSH CA 2018-1005R1.0

Page 7 of 7

 Revision (R) Date

Reason for 

Revision

1.0 20 November 2018

NIOSH revised this notice to clarify the definitions of primary 

seal and stubble growth of facial hair.