Accidents such as a fire or an explosion can compromise air breathability and leave workers without rescue for some time. They may even be required to make their own way to safety. This makes an SCSR a vital part of the miner’s arsenal.
These easily portable devices provide personal respiratory protection to each individual miner, and should be carried at all times as a safety precaution. The typical SCSR blocks air flow from the nose and the miner instead breathes through the mouthpiece of the device, which oxidises air pollutants and converts them into a breathable format.
This can sometimes feel uncomfortable as the air provided by the SCSR can become very hot and dry, but it’s important no miner sneaks a breath of cool air from around the device – a carbon monoxide concentration as low as 0.5% can cause collapse, unconsciousness, and death in just a few minutes.
Among the market-leading SCSRs supplied by Carroll Technologies Group is the W65 Self-Rescuer Respirator from Mine Safety Appliances (MSA).
This particular device is intended to protect specifically against carbon monoxide poisoning, and weighs only 2.2lbs. Protected inside a rugged stainless steel case, the W65 as a positive hermetic seal and has a total life of 15 years, with an in-service life of ten years. It’s important to note that the W65 is a one-use only device, and should not be used in atmospheres containing less than 19.5% oxygen or which have become polluted by toxic gases and vapours other than carbon monoxide.
Carroll Technologies Group also supplies two SCSRs from Ocenco, the M-20 and the EBA 6.5.
The M-20 is a belt-borne device which comes in particularly useful in tunnels and other confined spaces. At just over six inches square and three inches thick, this is the world’s smallest SCSR, using compressed oxygen to provide respiratory protection for up to 32 minutes. The user can quickly check the oxygen supply through the clear case.