A close shave? Performance of P2/N95 respirators in healthcare workers with facial hair: results of the BEARDS (BEnchmarking Adequate Respiratory DefenceS) study

P2/N95 filtering face piece respirators (FFRs) protect healthcare workers (HCWs) from airborne infections. This study assessed the impact of facial hair on quantitative respirator fit in 105 male HCWs, of whom 38 were clean shaven, and assessed the prevalence of male facial hair at the study facilit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of hospital infection 2020-04, Vol.104 (4), p.529-533
Main Authors: Sandaradura, I., Goeman, E., Pontivivo, G., Fine, E., Gray, H., Kerr, S., Marriott, D., Harkness, J., Andresen, D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Airborne infection
Benchmarking
Equipment Design
Face
Facial hair
Female
Filtering face piece respirator
Fit testing
Hair
Health Personnel
Humans
Male
N95 Respirators - standards
New South Wales
Occupational Exposure - prevention & control
P2/N95 respirator
Respiratory Protective Devices - standards
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Summary:P2/N95 filtering face piece respirators (FFRs) protect healthcare workers (HCWs) from airborne infections. This study assessed the impact of facial hair on quantitative respirator fit in 105 male HCWs, of whom 38 were clean shaven, and assessed the prevalence of male facial hair at the study facility. Only 34 (32%) male HCWs overall achieved an adequate FFR fit, including 47% of clean-shaven men. No full-bearded HCWs achieved a fit. Adequate respirator fit decreased significantly with increasing facial hair (P
ISSN:0195-6701
1532-2939
DOI:10.1016/j.jhin.2020.01.006