Jasdeep ji,
I am in oil & gas industry. There are multiple challenges. H2S is one of them. Rigs in US that have H2S concerns do not allow anyone with facial hair to enter. Similar challenges are there in oil refineries. They have strict no facial hair policy and there are no exemptions. I don't know of any other Sabat Surat Sikhs working in oil & gas in US but I have a friend working in Oil sands in Canada and he told me that they used to allow facial hair but recently his company changed policy and Sikhs who refused to shave were transferred to office jobs. Also, I know couple of cases for guys coming from India for short term projects and they were sent back as the locations they required to work wouldn't allow anyone with beard. One of them was supposed to work on offshore platform in Gulf of Mexico and other guy came for a project in a Chemical plant.
At one time I talked to Director of Sikh coalition at that time, Mr. Amardeep Singh and discussed with him this challenge as they were fighting legal battle for some sikhs to enter US Army and they were facing similar challenges as Army insisted on shaving to achieve the gas seal. Those guys were able to achieve gas seal with their beards by using regular masks. He was not sure how but he told me that some former Army and Navy Sikh officers from India helped them.
I explained to him the challenge I was facing in oil & gas industry and he explained that in US, only way to bring change is by bringing lawsuit against the companies. I was not prepared for the full fledged war with my employer when they were so accommodating and asked other colleagues to go to locations that require shaving. So I just let it go for time being. I am sure that the mask you proposed will NOT be accepted in these locations and they will insist on shaving but at least I can argue the case if required.
I am not sure if in Canada they have similar concept of bringing lawsuits to bring change or it can be done any other way.
Thanks
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