Last Updated on 29 October 2024 by SA Safety

Can I do Movember if I use RPE at work?

Movember is nearly upon us! Starting on the 1st of November, Mo Bros around the world commit to growing a moustache in the month of Movember to raise awareness and funds for men’s health charities.  But what are your options for Movember if you need to wear a tight-fitting respirator for your job? As face fit testing specialists, we’re going to tell you exactly how to safely do Movember, even if you wear RPE. 

Movember is a fun way to support important men’s health campaigns like prostate and testicular cancers, mental health and suicide prevention, but if you wear respiratory protective equipment (RPE) for work, you’ll know that facial hair can be a problem for Movember. 

The rules for facial hair and RPE

HSE regs for RPE state that facepieces need to fit tight to the wearer’s face to be effective:

Here’s how to do Movember if you use RPE

If you want to do Movember, we’re here to help! Think about safety first and make sure that joining in with Movember doesn’t interfere with properly fitting equipment. RPE can’t protect the wearer if it leaks and facial hair, even stubble, along a respirator’s sealing area can lead to a bad seal and compromised effectiveness against harmful vapours, gases and particles. For this reason facial hair is something our testers always check for during face fit testing. 

The regs state that you are required to be clean shaven to wear RPE, but the HSE definition for being clean shaven is that employees should shave within 8 hours of starting their work shift, plus, the important bit, that no facial hair should cross the face seal area. This means you can safely grow a moustache, as long as the rest of your face is clean shaven, and the moustache doesn’t compromise the face seal.

Once you’ve registered at movember.com, you should start at 1st of Movember with a clean shaven face. Movember rules state that for the entire month each Mo Bro must grow and groom a moustache.  Don’t fake it. No beards, no goatees and no fake moustaches! As long as you maintain a clean-shaven face wherever the RPE will fit, your moustache can be nurtured into luxuriant growth.

Need inspiration?

Growing a moustache that is face fit friendly is challenging but not impossible. Take inspiration from our face fit testers’ most ingenious candidate to date. He sported an elaborately-groomed moustache; for his face fit test he tied the ends in  a bow to keep them clear of the face seal area – and passed the test. As long as your Movember moustache doesn’t cross the respirator seal and allows for a clean seal on the skin you can safely grow a moustache for Movember.

How Movember works

During Movember, men sign up to grow a moustache for 30 days, getting friends, family and colleagues to donate to their effort. Men and women can also get involved by committing to move and walking or running 60km over the month. You can also host an event – bringing together friends to change the face of men’s health. Register to Grow, Move or Host at movember.com!