Glow paints, which offer increased visibility of miners, equipment and hazards, are a relatively new concept in the longwall market.

To date the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has identified several uses for the paint: for mobile equipment and service vehicles, sign and hazard identification, clothing including hard hats and vests, tools, fire extinguishers and first aid supplies.

One company offering glow in the dark paints is new comer Ken-Glo Products. Founder Ken Hopper is currently trialing the paint on hard hats in the Alliance Resource Partner’s Dotiki and Warrior mines. He has also recently trialed the paint on a Gamma Services International underground tool cart.

Hopper is also hoping to test the paint on vehicles moving in and out of the mine and on safeway exit markers and electrical panels.

Once painted on and light activated for 30 minutes the paint will glow for an extended period of time from one to four days. Glo-paint activated for 15 minutes will glow for 24 hours. The paint comes in ‘enamel’ for painting on plastics, steel, wood and in ‘flexi’ used on cloth.

Hopper said the only drawback with the product was it needed to be periodically reactivated with light.