ENVIRONMENT

No issues with tested Ocenco SCSRs: MSHA, NIOSH

THE US Mine Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which opened a joint investigation into malfunctioning Ocenco M-20 self-contained self-rescuers, said new tests revealed no issues.

Donna Schmidt
No issues with tested Ocenco SCSRs: MSHA, NIOSH

The agencies said they observed the manufacturer’s evaluation of the SCSRs on April 23, using the M-20s that had reportedly malfunctioned.

“The reported units were refilled and tested by the manufacturer and did not malfunction when the units were donned,” officials said.

MSHA and NIOSH urge operators to follow Ocenco’s complete instructions for donning M-20 SCSRs when performing annual tests that are specified in mines’ emergency response plans.

In the meantime, federal officials continue to contact mine operators to determine if any problems have been identified when the annual tests are performed.

“Any problems encountered should be reported to MSHA,” the agencies said.

The two initially issued an alert notice about a report of faulty units late last week after an unidentified mine reported a malfunction involving four of its M-20s.

Those units had been produced in 2008.

An ILN request for comment from Wisconsin-based Ocenco was not returned.

The SCSR maker’s two primary products are the M-20.2, a belt-worn unit designed for 20 minutes of breathable air and the EBA 6.5, often stored in caches, which allows for more than 90 minutes of oxygen.

A guide to the care and maintenance of Ocenco M-20 units is available at www.msha.gov/InteractiveTraining/SCSR/Ocenco%20M-20/lesson06/Instructors_Guide_OCM20.pdf .

TOPICS:

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Monthly Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Monthly Intelligence team.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Future Fleets Report 2024

The report paints a picture of the equipment landscape and includes detailed profiles of mines that are employing these fleets

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Digitalisation Report 2023

An in-depth review of operations that use digitalisation technology to drive improvements across all areas of mining production

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Automation Report 2023

An in-depth review of operations using autonomous solutions in every region and sector, including analysis of the factors driving investment decisions

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Exploration Report 2023 (feat. Opaxe data)

A comprehensive review of current exploration rates, trending exploration technologies, a ranking of top drill intercepts and a catalogue of 2022 Initial Resource Estimates and recent discovery successes.