Officials working on mine communication 3 years after Sago
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Dec 22, 2008 04:31AM
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Officials working on mine communication 3 years after Sago
By Jessica Lilly
January 2 is the third anniversary of the explosion at a mine in Sago West Virginia where 12 miners lost their lives. Within months the United States Congress and the state legislature passed laws requiring that all miners receive devices that allow them to communicate in case of an emergency.
The next federal deadline is June 15. Although the state and federal guidelines are similar the timelines are different. West Virginia deadlines are coming quicker.
In June Coal Companies across the nation must complete a plan to implement tagging/tracking and two-way communications for miners. In West Virginia the companies are suppose to implement the products by December 31.
No one expects them to meet that deadline. Instead, the state’s leading mine safety official expects every mine in West Virginia to meet a federal deadline.
Ron Wooten is the director of the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health and Safety Training. He says mines in West Virginia will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
“I’ve taken the position,” Wooten said, “that on this particular deadline that if we need to vary it somewhat in order to improve the communications and tracking at a given mine to improve the health and safety or the safety particularly, of the employees, then we’ll do it.”
Although the devices can be costly, the products are expected to increase miner productivity. That’s another reason for Wooten’s decision to extend the deadline.
Wooten says the office will be watching the mines very closely. He says there are only two acceptable reasons for mines in West Virginia to miss this deadline. If the operators have ordered a system and are waiting for the delivery and if the operator is waiting on the installed system to be IS tested and approved by MSHA.
“There are some difficulties with getting all of the equipment tested for IS requirements,” Wooten said.
Earlier this month, federal mine safety officials released a letter illustrating what they expect from mine safety equipment makers and from coal mines across the nation. MSHA is asking for public input and for now, it’s only a proposal.
One of the main differences between the state and federal regulations is federal requirement that the devices be intrinsically safe. Basically this means in a case of an emergency, the systems could operate without electricity.
In Princeton, Custom Manufacturing Services (CMS) is manufacturing Mine Net. It’s a tagging/tracking, 2-way communication device for miners. The device attaches to the helmet. It allows the miner to send messages to a dispatcher. The product was developed by American Mine Research of Rocky Gap Virginia.
Bob Saxton is the General Manager of American Mine Research. AMR has been doing business for more than 30 years. Saxton says the experience is an advantage because the coal industry is a unique business. AMR is having to get MSHA approval for Mine Net not once but twice.
The second round of approval will certify that the device is intrinsically safe and can operate without electricity. AMR applied for approval more than 4 months ago, even before the draft was released.
There are 3 coal mines in West Virginia and 3 more in Virginia use the Mine Net system.
The mines serve as testing grounds for the products.
Wooten says getting the equipment tested and MSHA approved is a challenge for a combination of reasons.
Wooten notes, “The industry has evolved and there continues to be improvements. A manufacturer or a vendor may have gone in 5 months ago and had something approved and thought that was going to be satisfactory but they continued to work on it…and they have developed improvements well every time they develop an improvement change if it involves any hardware whatsoever then they need to go back and have it retested.”
As the industry continues to evolve, the list gets longer for those hoping to get approval. Wooten says AMR’s situation is a good example of what’s going on in West Virginia.
“Because of our dealings and workings with MSHA over the past 33 years we know things don’t just go through with a snap,” Bob Saxton said. “There is a lot of details involved. There is a lot of paperwork involved. It’s not a frustration…they are making sure that we know what we’re doing and we want to make sure that the people that use our equipment will be satisfied and it will operate safely.”
Wooten says he’s willing to accept a delay because he believes rushing the operators could compromise quality.
Wooten also believes the country is making progress to improve the health and safety of miners, and West Virginia is leading the way.
“It’s important to note that West Virginia is far ahead of the rest of the country here,” Wooten said. “In that we are in the process of deploying today, communications and tracking systems in our mines in the state whereas MSHA is still in the process of proposing criteria for communications and tracking systems.”
(This reporter’s future mother-in-law is an employee at CMS.)