OKD will present the most modern mining technology in Karviná square

KARVINÁ (August 26th, 2011) – Children and wives of miners can get more information about machines, which their fathers and husbands use at work underground. OKD will show road header or arch reinforcement used during coalmining during miners celebration. It's part of CZK 10 B investment that company invested for better productivity and safety of miners. People can see that instead of pneumatic drills, miners use the most advanced machines in the world controlled by computers today.

The main attraction will be MR 340 Sandvik road header, 11 such as machines working in OKD now. Measures are impressive - 10 meters long and weighs over 50 tons. The Swedish company has prepared additional program for visitors, for example balloon sightseeing flights over the park of ​​Božena Němcová or bicycles zone. "For those who are interested, will be available standing bikes for non-traditional traveling between the town of Sandvik and Karvina, where is the main headquarters of the comapny. Experts from Sandvik will build the service stations in the fest. Visitors who arrive on bicycles, may have them repaired or checked," said Vladislav Sobol, OKD spokesman.

The U.S. company Caterpillar will present a so-called "medium reinforcement", which is used in OKD shafts in the coal mining. It weighs around 35 tonnes and allows mining in seams of thickness up to nearly four meters.

"Of course we can not expose all the machines that we bought in recent years. Therefore we are preparing an exhibition of large format photographs on which will be shown further mining equipment, safety equipment or land reclamation projects, "said Vladislav Sobol.

Apprentices from High School of Technology and Services in Karvina will be presenting new mining equipment, in which the company helped to restore mining apprenticeships two years ago.

Součástí Hornických slavností bude také výstava techniky záchranářů z Hlavní báňské záchranné stanice. „Lidé uvidí netypické vybavení sanitky, představíme vozidlo s vyprošťovací technikou nebo podvodní kamery. Velmi zajímavé bude také vybavení potápěčského týmu báňských záchranářů,“ dodal Sobol.

The part of Miners´ celebration will be an exhibition of rescue equipment from Main Mine Rescue Station. "People will see unusual ambulance equipment and introduce a vehicle with rescue equipment and underwater cameras. Very interesting will be equipment of rescuers diving team," said Sobol.

Vladislav Sobol, OKD spokesman

Telefon:           596 262 293                             Mobil:               725 595 417
E-mail:                         vladislav.sobol@okd.cz                        Web:                www.okd.cz