Cougar not with beards we don’t no. If they want to join they have to shave

The desire for a beard isn’t as strong as the desire to breathe in a fire

In Tenerife earlier this month and a number of pale-faced pomade-encrusted hipsters were present on the first day

Next morning after a day of 30+ temperatures all the beards were gone 🙂

It would be illegal to go into places in worked without one Cougar, they can employ anyone just some roles have further requirements. I assume the fire service can refuse on grounds of health and fitness along with a beard making the ba impossible to use and ineffective.

Next morning after a day of 30+ temperatures all the beards were gone

When did it get warm? 36c forecast for moab next week and not reaching for the clippers. Was racing at 37c last year, beard not the issue

I found this on the deliciously named Sikhi Wiki:

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Turban,_UK_Legislation_Regarding_its_use_by_Sikhs

Turban wearers are exempt from requiring crash helmets in the workplace (Employment Act) and motorbike helmets (which I think is fairly common knowledge. “Employer liability for injuries is restricted to the injuries that would have been sustained if the Sikh had been wearing a safety helmet.” And Race Relations act forbids discrimination, but it says that employers are “recommended” not to refuse employment.

Surely the “oil and gas industry” would be on shaky ground if challenged by someone with a religious beard. It’s pretty much the same situation, is it not; they should be allowed to work there and if the respirator doesn’t fit then on their own face head be it.

(For clarity, I’m not saying I agree with this legislation. Religious privilege is putting lives at risk; forgoing essential safety equipment because you think your invisible friend might not like it is reckless at best. I’m just surprised that any industry is allowed to get away with such widespread and open discrimination rather than being forced to introduce beard-compatible respirators or move liability responsibility to the individual.)

And yet the RN are OK with beards. Not much H2S and CN but plenty of other hazards around plus a need for flash protection. Odd that.

Different risks though and different acceptable levels of risk? On an oil rig you’ve got an expectation of going home safe. Army/navy/air force there are other dangers.

Respirators to protect against fire probably dont need to seal particulalry well, just provide fresh air to breathe, whereas a respirator to wear in the event of a leak of toxic gas needs to seal perfectly because H2S and CN in particular will kill at ppm concentrations.

And a ship is effectively indoors, shut the door and your safe from whatever gas is on the other side. Same way my beard is/was perfectly acceptable working on most sites and offices in Teesside but wouldn’t have been allowed out of the office building at Billingham.

As for discrimination. No different to similar policies which effectively ban wheelchair users, the blind or fat people. Its not discrimination, its writing job descriptions which say you must be able to climb ladders/stairs, drive a car and get through a helicopter window.

The desire for a beard isn’t as strong as the desire to breathe in a fire

Yet you could use the same argument for turbans and motorcycle accidents, could you not?

You know, Gareth Malone.
Him from The Choir.
He seems to be the most recent splitter.

I’m not knocking beards, BTW, I usually faff about with one in winter.

No man bun, but I do rock a French Plait now and again, courtesy of Tracy at work. 🙂

In the situations I’ve been around not wearing a proper fitting respirator will result in a painful death. Other places on that site have emergency respirators but no beard restrictions as it’s for the absolute worst case. You can still work there just not on certain jobs.

cinnamon_girl – Member

For Solo

As ever, thank you CG 😀

Though I’m sure I’ll be excused if I say I’ll pass on both, cheers.
🙂

Considering I’ve not been clean shaven since ’92 I’m not really bothered what is considered on trend or otherwise. And I don’t need some southern media prick to tell me about it neither…

The sooner all these arriviste hipsters crawl back under their respective logs the better I say. 😆

Currently at the stage where I have to retrieve the beard from under the neck of my t-shirt when putting in on but not quite ‘under or over’ the duvet.

“Just got paid today got me a pocket full of change…”

Same when flares came back.
I’d long advocated the wider trouser.

Wider-bottomed trouser = flares
Wider trouser through whole leg = bags, surely?

On the plus side for the hipsters at least you can shave a beard off, that real special tattoo however

Semantics, innit?

Bredth of Lionel’s proportional to bredth of mind.
Free love and drainpipes just didn’t work.
Wrong drugs too.

And the cheap capitalist wafters forced on the underclass during the 70’s were a con.
So tight at the top you couldn’t get a 10p piece in your pocket.
The same amount of material as straight legs but just moved around a bit.
****.

In a previous job I was H&S Manager for a company which had a lot of airborne hazards including dust with a high lead concentration.

Work in these areas was typically of short duration and tight fitting rpe was mandatory along with a face fit test.

Beards and stubble meant no effective seal and so the rpe was ineffective. Anyone turning up for work unshaven was asked to shave before work and if they refused they were sent home.

This is perfectly legal under the HaSAW act. If we hadn’t enforced it, we would have been breaking the law.

“Just got paid today got me a pocket full of change…”

Oh, that’s good!

🙂

You aren’t allowed in the fire service as operational staff with a turban either