This year there will be 13.000 personal rescue devices

OSTRAVA – After seven years the Mining Rescue Service (HBZS) is busy again with the masks or personal rescue devices for mines. The old Ukrainian devices ŠSS – 1 PV type will be replaced with German Dräger OXY K 50 S. There will be 13.000 pieces delivered to OKD this year.

How much work is involved in this replacement demonstrates a simple fact that every single mask must be marked or as they call it „tattooed“. „The marking indicates the period when they were put into service and their production number. We use a special marking pen reminding a tattooing needle,“ explained Karel Petr. The third and last number is added on the mask in the lamp room at each mine. When the mask is given to an employee his mining badge is attached to it.

„If a miner moves from one site to another, for example from ČSM North to ČSM South the personal rescue device travels with him,“ pointed out one of the novelties the Head of the Mining Rescue Service Václav Pošta. Another novelty is that the statutory number of additional masks will not be stored at mines. They will be stored centrally at the Mining Rescue Headquarters at Radvanice similarly as all other rescue services.

At present Dräger OXY K 50 S masks are already used at “Darkov Mine” mine and at both sites of  “Karviná Mine”. They include more than 9600 pieces. In April ČSM North and South mines will also receive them. The old masks at “Paskov Mine” have the longest residual life and because it is not allowed to use two different types of masks at the same mine, they will get new ones next year.

It is also necessary to modify the shelves where the personal rescue devices are stored – the cylindrical ones will be replaced with flat ones. But this still not everything what people from the Mine Rescue Service must do. „The decommissioned masks are collected in our premises. Then they are disposed of them in an environment friendly way,“ said the Head of the Rescue Service Mr Pošta.  The life of Dräger OXY K 50 S masks acquired under Safety 2010 Programme is ten yeas. Then they will be replaced again.

(Radek Lukša)