Feds Pressure Air Pack Makers
By TIM HUBER
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Federal mining regulators want the manufacturers of emergency air packs to speed up production and ship the packs first to the mines that most need them.
The announcement this week comes amid concern that the Mine Safety and Health Administration has not implemented new safety requirements passed by Congress last year – in particular, that underground coal mine operators provide two emergency air packs for each miner and store more along escape routes.
The change came after the Jan. 2, 2006 Sago mine tragedy in which one miner was killed in an explosion and 11 others who were trapped died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Last June’s Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act prompted orders for an estimated 100,000 air packs, but regulators and mine operators alike believe that far fewer than that have been delivered to the nation’s 600 or so coal mines.
It was not known how far short of the requirements supplies now fall. Federal inspectors have been told to identify mines that have only one air pack available for each miner and to tell their operators to contact the manufacturer.
MSHA director Richard Stickler said air pack manufacturers have agreed to fill those orders first, then fill orders for air packs destined for storage along escape routes.
“It’s a manufacturing issue,” said National Mining Association lobbyist Bruce Watzman. “No one in the supply chain or delivery chain is trying to intentionally delay the delivery.”
CSE Corp., the top manufacturer of the emergency packs, recently finished expanding its production operation. President Scott Shearer said the Monroeville, Pa.-based company has reduced the wait for orders to nine or 10 months, Shearer said. Last fall, CSE had a one-year backlog.
Ocenco Corp., the second-largest manufacturer, recently told the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training that it also has a 10-month backlog.
A third manufacturer, Draeger Safety, has approximately 8,000 air packs available for delivery, but officials say they have had trouble finding buyers.