If this person is presenting as an instructor, he is modeling extremely poor practice.  Regarding the beard, I don’t see how it differs from working with shoulder length hair around an open flame (I have had the experience of a student with shoulder length hair singeing it as she reached over a Bunsen burner flame—fortunately, without injury—just a foul odor.)  You are absolutely correct in telling him this demonstration as he describes it is inappropriate.

Every so often, I get a science teacher (usually chemistry) whose instructional purpose seems to be to dazzle and terrify the students.  My response is to request a listing of instructional objectives as tied to the state standards. 

"Fortune favors the prepared mind."  Louis Pasteur

All - Please let me know if anyone out there has had any any experience with this situation.

I have a PI who has a full beard (we are talking ZZ Top style beard here).  He is insistent on doing demos with flames - including fire eating.  Don't ask me what chemical principal that is demonstrating.  Yesterday he asked me what I thought about doing the classic "money burning" demo where you dip a  dollar in a 50/50 isopropanol/water mixture that shows how evaporation cools the money and prevents the alcohol from burning it,  only he wants to use his beard instead of the money.  I am not sure if he was serious or just trying to get a response out of me. 

Anyone have any suggestions on how to prevent this fellow from burning his face off?  In general, I would like to tell him that if the beard stays, he cannot work with flames.  Is that an option?  It is so long that he can actually tie it up and fold it in on itself, but it is still hanging pretty low and could easily catch on fire with a Bunsen burner.

Sammye