Effects of Facial Hair in Oxygen Masks

Abstract

The objective of this study is to determine whether or not hazards are associated with facial hair on Naval aircrewmen using oxygen breathing equipment. The study showed that undesirable conditions do exist because of facial hair, but there is no evidence of serious injury or fire occuring in aircraft because of hair growth. Indications are that hair segments could become lodged in a valve mechanism causing breathing difficulty and noisy communications. Also, face seal integrity is hard to maintain on facial hair. Each set of test results show instability of breathing conditions that could be hazardous to the crewman. Therefore, it appears that wearing facial hair should be considered a potential hazard that could affect the safety and efficient operation of the aircraft.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 29, 1972
Accession Number
AD0754075

Entities

People

  • David G. Naber

Organizations

  • Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accidents
  • Air Flow
  • Aircrafts
  • Altitude
  • Biomedical Research
  • Breathing Masks
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Fires
  • Measurement
  • Military Medicine
  • Navy
  • Oxygen Masks
  • Sea Level
  • Surveys
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Test Facilities
  • Wounds And Injuries

Readers

  • Materials Science
  • Theoretical Analysis.