The US Mine Safety and Health Administration confirmed for ILN that the workers at the Mountain Edge Mining Dorothy No. 3 operation in Boone County on June 27 were using CSE training canisters that contained potassium superoxide (KO2) and had received severe burns.

The West Virginia Coal Association added that, just following the accident, the Coal Division of Safety asked federal mining districts to temporarily suspend training with the canisters until the supplier replaced the KO2 with the less harmful Sodasorb.

MSHA spokesperson Amy Louviere confirmed that six of the training canisters in question were returned to the agency’s Technical Support division for evaluation.

“On July 1, NIOSH [National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health] and MSHA’s Jeff Kravitz visited CSE to inspect the canisters and perform visual tests,” she said.

“KO2 residue was detected on the outside and on the mouthpieces of the training units.”

She said CSE personnel informed MSHA that the new training canisters had been placed into the same travel bag as used units, which contaminated the new units with the KO2. The incident also appears to be isolated in nature.

“MSHA has concluded that the miners who experienced problems used training units that were contaminated on the exterior with KO2, probably from a used unit or units,” Louviere said.

“Twenty other miners had successfully used the same type of units earlier that day with no mishaps.”

A new CSE unit was subsequently tested that bore the same manufacture date as the units in question and no KO2 was detected on the mouthpiece or outside canister.

All the injured workers returned to the mine on June 29.

According to MSHA statistics, the underground operation produced just over 294,000 tons of coal in 2008 in 93,347 hours worked.

CSE’s letter

ILN secured a copy of CSE’s letter to MSHA, which noted that CSE was still conducting an internal investigation into the incident as of July 1. CSE reiterated the problems arising from storing the equipment in a common bag and said that all mines must carefully review the unit’s manual and instructions before use.

“Simulations must be done with great care and proper information,” CSE president Scott Shearer said in his letter to Kravitz.

“The chemicals in the SR-MP are rated as hazardous material, which are potentially dangerous and must be handled and disposed of properly to prevent injury.”

Shearer said CSE would issue a user notice to the mining community on proper use and handling of the training canisters.

CSE also has an exchange plan in the works so that units in circulation with KO2 can be switched with Sodasorb canisters. Shearer, however, did not indicate when that program would begin or how the exchanges could be made.

“CSE will keep MSHA and NIOSH informed of any additional information it obtains in its investigation and will provide the agencies with an opportunity to review the users’ notice before it is issued,” Shearer noted.

“CSE believes that re-education and product modifications can minimise the risk to miners of injuries of this type created when units are not used in the proper environment and mishandled following training.”