Released Thursday, December 3, 1998

MSHA Calls Attention to Problem with Emergency Breathing Device

The Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is alerting the mining community about a potential problem with certain self-contained self-rescue breathing devices typically used by underground miners. Some self-contained self-rescue units (SCSR's) manufactured by the CSE Corporation have been found to emit higher-than-normal levels of carbon dioxide in the air supplied to the user.

MSHA emphasizes that these devices should still be used in an emergency. The units will supply oxygen and provide the wearer with protection from harmful gases in the mine air. The higher-than-normal levels of carbon dioxide in the air supplied to the user may cause users to breathe faster and more deeply while using the device. .

"It's important that all in the mining industry who use these devices be aware of the problem they may encounter," said Davitt McAteer, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. "Users who are unaware of the problem, if it occurs, may become frustrated with the device during a real emergency and discard it rather than use it to escape. That mistake could be fatal. All miners should know that once you have donned an SCSR, you should never remove it until you are in fresh air."

The devices which have been found to have the problem are some CSE SR-100 Self-Contained Self-Rescuers manufactured by CSE Corporation bearing the MSHA/NIOSH approval number TC-13F-239. SCSR's are intended to provide the user with one hour of fresh air in case of an emergency such as a fire or explosion underground which may release toxic gases into the mine air.

"We do not yet know how many of the breathing devices have the problem," said McAteer. "We are continuing to investigate the matter carefully and will keep the mining community informed."

CSE Corporation has suggested that the devices most likely to have higher-than-normal carbon dioxide levels are those that have been exposed to excessive shock and vibration over an extended time.

Both MSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are conducting laboratory tests to determine the cause of the problem and to identify accurate methods to identify individual breathing devices that have the problem.

A letter being distributed to miners and mine operators about the problem with certain CSE SR-100 self-contained self rescuers can be found on MSHA's home page on the World Wide Web at www.msha.gov.