Police Scotland is to introduce a clean-shaven policy for all frontline officers and staff.
The police force said the beard ban, to be introduced on 29 May, is necessary so that officers and staff can wear FFP3 face masks.
According to the BBC, hundreds of police officers and frontline staff will have to shave off their beards and moustaches. Four are reportedly considering legal action.
There is an exception for those who cannot shave for religious, cultural, disability or medical reasons. In these circumstances, Police Scotland is seeking to introduce an alternative type of respiratory protection.
Assistant chief constable Alan Speirs said: “The safety of our officers and staff is a priority and the policy around the use of respiratory equipment is being implemented to protect those on the frontline.
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“Significant learning from the Covid pandemic identified that the FFP3 mask – which is face-fitted and requires users to be clean shaven – offers the most appropriate and effective respiratory protection to officers and staff.
“While the risk from coronavirus has lowered, wider risks remain to those attending calls, such as fires, road accidents and chemical incidents which require PPE to be worn.
“The Respiratory Protective Equipment policy mandates that, where it can be reasonably foreseen that an officer or member of staff will use an FFP3 mask in the course of their duties, they should be clean-shaven.”
The Scottish Police Federation said it was supporting members who have lodged employment tribual claims against Police Scotland and has sought legal advice.
Our General Secretary David Kennedy said the SPF was supporting several members who had lodged employment tribunal cases – and it had sought legal opinion relating to health and safety, discrimination and human rights. https://t.co/VBFuy55MUx
— ScotsPolFed ????????? (@ScotsPolFed) May 5, 2023
Speirs added: “We are listening to a wide range of views on this matter and will undertake full consultation with all relevant staff associations ahead of implementation.
“A full human rights impact assessment is also being carried out as part of this process.”
Police Scotland is the second biggest police force in the UK, behind the Metropolitan Police. It has around 17,000 officers and 6,000 staff.
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In 2019, a police constable successfully brought a sex discrimination case against the Police Service of Northern Ireland after he was transferred out of a firearms unit for refusing to shave his moustache. PSNI introduced a policy whereby officers routinely expected to wear respiratory protective equipment needed to be clean-shaven.
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