Can Welders Have Beards?

Last Updated on September 26, 2021 by weldinghubs

Welders are the persons who weld different metallic sheets or components by using a welding gas. These welders also use welding equipment for joining different sections. So, the personal protection of these welders is of great importance protecting and safe the life of these peoples.

Welders must adopt some specific lifestyles for theirs safety and protection. American society of welding sets different rules and regulations for welders responsible for protecting welders from any hazard. For example, one of the terms and conditions that a welder must follow is not to have a long beard.

So, can welders have beards? No. If you are a certified welder, you cannot have a very long beard. It is because it can tangle with the respiratory system. Moreover, it is very unsafe to have long beards. You will get irritated with a long beard, and it will also hamper the activity of the respiratory system.

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What Facial Hair can You have With a Respirator?

The respirator is a system that assists in easy inhalation of the air and also protects the welder from the contaminants or pollutants escaped during welding. However, so long facial hair causes disturbance in wearing the respiratory system. Therefore, the respiratory holders do not stick your ears strictly.

If the respiratory system does not fit well, the contaminants will travel into your respiratory tract and reach the lungs’ alveolar surfaces. These contaminants destroy the air surfaces of the lungs, and this results in different diseases. Different diseases that can result in the lungs destruction and eventually death include:

• Emphysema
• Pneumonia
• Tuberculosis
• Lung cancer
• Asthma
• Bronchitis

These problems can be chronic or mild. So, to avoid these diseases, try not to have lengthy facial hairs. Instead, fit the respiratory system strictly on your face. It will not only protect your lungs from diseases but also provides skin protection and allergic reactions.

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Can an Employee have a Beard and Wear a Respirator?

Beard and the respiratory system do not go well with each other. Therefore, wearing a respirator is essential for the safety of the welder. But, the American society of welding recommends not to have a beard for the protection protocol of welder.

Entanglement of the beard occurs with the respiratory surface that affects the mechanism of the respiratory system. Such a system must fit the contour of your face and have a strict grip on your face.

The best option is to cut your beard to get an ultimate grip. If you want to pursue your career as a welder, the beard is not best for you. A clean-shaven person can do a better job as compared to a person with a beard.

You must seal the respiratory system and make it air-tight for personal protection. But the long hairs on your face can allow the air to enter into the seal of your respiratory system. So, beards and mustaches are not permissible in welding. Sideburns on your face also cause interruption with the respiratory system.

So, you must avoid any hair on your face for a welding job. In addition, the beards do not support a respiratory system with good sealing. So, if you want to achieve maximum safety, you must avoid beards.

If the seal is not air-blocked, the contaminants will have their path through the leakage. Gaseous particles and vaporized liquids pass through the sealing interstices and cause problems for you.

These pollutants not only cause lung diseases but also how’re the quality of your work. Some people are allergic to certain chemicals. These chemicals, when entering your nose, irritate and distract your attention from work.

So, you may fall into any hazard or trouble due to this. It may also compel you to scratch your nose to eliminate the irritations and itching. Some pollutants also result in continuous sneezing or coughing that also leads to deterioration in your work.

So, a professional welder must avoid clingy hairs or lengthy beards for working consciously.

You will be able to work with more attention if you don’t have any distractions. Another disadvantage of long beards is that they can capture dust or smog particles. In this way, you can become the carrier of the pollutants or toxins to your home, where you may have babies.  So, it can also endanger the life of your children. As all of us know, the immunity or the defense system of the small kids is not too many strings. So, such toxic chemicals can penetrate their lungs with extra speed and cause massive destruction of air sacs.

A question may appear in your mind; How many-particle can a tiny human hair capture?

The answer is that the human hair that may appear narrow or thin to you is not as small. The thickness of human hair is multi-fold times greater than the nano-sized particles of the welding arc.

So hairs are the ultimate carrier of the contaminants and are very dense. In addition, the volume of the hair is much greater than the filters. So, enormous numbers of molecules attach to the hairs of beards or mustaches that ultimately enter into your air canal. Moreover, the lead particles might be present in the welding gases that can penetrate the bones and brain tissues.

Lead is too much toxic for the human body as it has the ability of bioaccumulation and bio-magnification. So, to avoid deadly chemicals and hazardous ailments, you must not compromise on your facial hairs or beards.

Beards increase the risks of particles flow into the respiratory canal. The danger of entrance of these particles into the sealings of your increases 2000.

Are Beards Unprofessional?

Beards may not be unprofessional, but the problem raised due to it makes it unprofessional for the welders. The risk of diseases doubles due to beards because they create crevices between the face of the welder and the respiratory system.

Another problem arises due to beards is that it can cause excessive sweating in the summer season. The long beards cause sweat to pour into your lips that will be frustrating. So, beards are not recommendable by the American welding society for welders.

Do I have to Shave my Beard for Mask Fit Testing?

Yes, the beards cause severe problems to your mask fit testing. So, it would help if you were clean-shaven for the testing of the fit. People with beards will also feel uncomfortable while wearing a respirator or a mask. So, to perform your work efficiently, you must shave your beard and trim your sideburns. Although you can use a welding job, it is not as effective.

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Which Types of Respirators Are Available for Welder?

The respiratory system is the ultimate solution to your problems while doing welding. Different types of respirators are workable for welding nowadays. These respirators are essential for your protection and safety because welding is not an easy job.

There are two main types of respirators:

· Negative Pressure Respirator (N95)

A negative pressure respirator is also known as N 95. Such respirators are the safest and protective systems for welding. They cover your whole face including, your nose and mouth, and also form a good seal in the entire area.

Negative Pressure respirators have perfect contour according to your face and provide you enough space to breathe easily. Your mouth and nose do not become wet with sweating with such respirators.

If you are a welder and want to use such a system for the blockage of the contaminants, you must choose this one. With extra-thick sealing and comfortable wear, these are the ultimate solution to your Welding situations.

These N95 masks also meet the international standards of quality and control. The AWS also suggests these respiratory systems for the welders. The name of these masks is so because of a negative pressure pull. These masks allow the welder to inhale with easiness.

· Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPRs)

PARPs is the other name for powered air-purifying respirators. It is an alternative for the peoples, who don’t feel comfortable with the N95 or Negative Pressure respirators. You can also use these masks in circumstances where an N 95 respirator is not approachable.

These respirators include additional filler for the purification of the air. It removes or sieves all the contaminants from the air and allows the fresh and purified air into the mask.

Although the PAPRs are more efficient in the purification than the N 95, they are a little costly. The price of these respirators often compels the peoples not to use these masks. But it would be best if you did not compromise the health on the cost.

Choose these masks to get better efficiency while working. But these respirators are useable with beards and have less life-threatening effects.

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Is There a Respirator for Beards?

You need no worry at all if you have a beard. New masks are available on the market that is useable even with beards. The respiratory systems do not need a tight fit on the face. Air capped PAPRs are those magnificent respirators that work even with facial hairs.

You can wear these on your head like a helmet and work without any distraction or problem. They also can remove 99% of contaminants or toxicants from the air and provide you clean air.

Always go for things that are more suitable and beneficial for your health because there is. Compromise on the health of a person as it is a matter of life.

Moreover, the welding work is not a piece of cake. It is tiring and troubling work that requires stamina. So, you must care of your respiratory system by wearing a respirator.

What Facial Hair can You Have with a Respirator?

Although, it is recommendable not to have hairs for welding work. Similarly, you must be clean-shaven to perform welding. But if you don’t need to remove your hairs or beards, some short hairs are also compensable.

Tiny facial hairs and beards with one-centimeter length are acceptable. Similarly, trim your mustache and sideburns to a small size. A beard having the size of only your face with a small size is workable with the respirators.

Conclusion

The final verdict of the discussion is that beards are not a professional symbol for the welder. Similarly, other forms of facial hairs like sideburns and mustache are also prohibitory. Finally, before starting welding, you must wear a respirator mask to block the way of chemicals into your nose.

The facial hairs can entangle with the respiratory mask and do not provide a good fit. So, it is demanding to remove all your facial beards to get a nice professional look and sound grip. You will be able to do your work more attentively without longs beards or hairs. Because, this way, you will not get interrupted by your facial hairs.

FAQ’s

Can I wear a welding helmet bib?

Yes, it is okay to wear a welding helmet bib. Such a bib protects your long beards and prevents them from tangling with the respiratory system. Moreover, a bib also helps you to keep your beard away from catching fire. But it cannot protect against respiratory risks.

Do welders have to be clean-shaven?

The better option is to be clean-shaven while welding because a lengthy beard interacts with your respiratory system and prevents the system from clinging to your face. So, the respiratory system does not adhere to your face in a good way. So you can not afford lengthy beards.

Can you fit an N95 with a beard?

N95 does not cling to the face of the welder with a long beard. A long beard is irritating while wearing a mask. So, clean your face in a clean-shaven form. If you want to wear an N95 mask, skip the long or bushy beards.

Can you wear a beard with a PAPR?

PAPR is a specific type of air-filtering respiratory system that works more efficiently than an N 95 mask. The plus point of these respirators is that you can wear them on your beards without facing too many problems or health issues.