The Colorado School of Mines Mine Rescue Team (CSM MRT) has received a donation of ten Polaris cap lamps and hats, as well as a ten unit charger stand, from global mining safety equipment distributor Carroll Technologies and Northern Light Technologies (NLT), a provider of advanced technologies to make mines safer and more efficient.
The CSM MRT team, which competes in mine rescue contests across the US, met with Carroll’s sales accounts manager Josh Johnson at the 2019 Colorado Regional MNM Mine Rescue, First Aid & Team Technician Contest.
According to Johnson: “The president of CSM Mine Rescue Jaume Martinez-Calvo and the Colarado team stopped by our booth and, after talking with them, it was obvious that once these individuals graduate, they’re going to be the ones that go out into the workforce.”
“In an effort to help support them, we asked what their needs are right now. What is it that they really need to be able to do these competitions and practise. They said they really needed updated cap lights or hard hats, and a charging system. That’s when I reached out to NLT; we’re NLT’s national distributor for the United States.”
Mine rescue competitions take place across the US every year and play an essential role in bringing together rescue teams, providing them with practise as the first response in the case of accidents at mine sites.
Martinez -Calvo outlined the importance of these competitions and their role in training rescue teams: “As part of our training, we learn how to explore a mine systematically and efficiently, how to medically treat encountered patients, and how to put out underground fires.”
“Mine rescue competitions test these skills in a series of events.” Martinez -Calvo explains. “Firstly, there are two days for a field problem event that simulates a mine emergency where the team’s skills in exploration, fire suppression, ventilation, and patient management and extraction, are tested. On the third day of competition, two more events are held.
“One event is a first aid problem which tests the team’s skills for patient care and triage in a variety of possible emergency situations. The second event tests the technician’s skills in repairing and maintaining mine rescue equipment such as gas meters and rebreather units. This equipment is vital to all mine rescue operations.”
Northern Light Technologies’ robust Polaris mining cap lamps
NLT is focused on developing advanced technologies to improve the efficiency and safety of mining operations. The Polaris cap lamp headpiece is a robust lighting solution, which is effective in aversive underground environments, such as mining and tunnelling operations. Like all products sold through Carroll Technologies, the cap light is certified as safe, meeting IECEx, M1 and US standards, verified by ATEX, Testsafe and MSHA.
A high-capacity lithium ion battery and LED light is cased in a plastic shell, which is high-impact secured, as well as dust and water resistant. The combination of the two light sources in conjunction with its emergency flashing beacon mode enables a minimum output range of 5,000LUX and a typical output of 6,500LUX.
“In all mine rescue operations and contests cap lights are needed,” said Martinez –Calvo. “We will be using the cap lights Carroll technologies donated to us most recently in a weekend long professional mine rescue training at the smuggler mine in Aspen, CO.”
For more information about the Colorado mine rescue team, visit their website: https://orgs.mines.edu/minerescue/.
