WritesHerman Mayfarth:

Lew –

Thanks for posting this.

I can confirm this is the “real deal,” because I have worked in the petrochemical industry, where OSHA 40 hour HAZWOPER training https://www.osha.gov/html/faq-hazwoper.html is the *minimum* level of safety training required before anyone is allowed inside facilities such as oil refineries, etc.

A significant part of that training involves the proper

1. Selection,

2. Use, and

3. Disposal <==

of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Please note that proper fit of respiratory protection is *NOT* possible for males who have facial hair which extends below or beyond the upper lip. This includes *all* levels of respiratory protection, beginning with N95 masks (the lowest level), and extending to full face, supplied air (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, or SCBA, which is SCUBA without the “Underwater” part).

Most people have probably seen photos of firefighters using SCBA (air tank on the back). you will *never* see a firefighter (or a SCUBA diver) with facial hair below or beyond the upper lip, and that is the reason why not.

If the government were serious about “face coverings” being effective PPE, they would have to ban most facial hair for men, as noted above.

That they are not prepared to do this speaks volumes.

A historical note:

The “clean shaven” look for men had its modern origins in the First World War. Due to the invention of chemical warfare, soldiers had to be ready to don PPE (gas masks) in case of chemical attack.

Returned war veterans continued their military-acquired habit of daily face hair shaving, which remained the fashion in the U.S. until the late 1960s.