The purchase includes 435 Drager BG ProAir apparatuses, which will replace obsolete W70 models that have been out of production for several years. The new equipment is considered the most modern on the market. It is successfully used by emergency services in several European countries. Mine rescue workers from JSW will be the first in the European mining industry to be equipped with modern apparatuses from Drager. Before the purchase decision was made, the apparatuses were tested by rescue workers at all Mine Rescue Stations in JSW.
- We make sure that our mine rescue workers are equipped with the most modern equipment that is currently available on the market. Now it's time to replace the self rescuers, which are more modern and, above all, safer. We should keep in mind that rescuers work in extreme conditions during rescue operations, and in order to be able to do so safely, they must be equipped with the best available equipment on the market - says Adam Rozmus, JSW SA’s Vice-President for Technical and Operational Matters and a former mine rescue worker.
The main difference between the old and new apparatuses is the way they work. The old ones were negative pressure apparatuses, the new ones are positive pressure. According to mine rescue workers, the latter system is safer for them.
- In the case of older models of negative pressure apparatuses, the risk of harmful gases entering the mask in a leak situation was significant - explains Janusz Grodoń, head of the Mine Rescue Station at KWK Knurów-Szczygłowice, and adds: - Modern apparatuses eliminate this problem thanks to positive pressure, which pushes air outward in the event of a failure, protecting the rescue worker from inhaling poisonous gases from the unbreathable air.
Another advantage of buying the new equipment, is its unification. Now all rescue workers working at JSW will have the same apparatuses.
- The old apparatuses are worn out and depreciated, so they will be disposed of. The new equipment, which is going to our mines, provides a much higher level of safety for rescue workers and will unify rescue worker equipment in all JSW SA mines - stresses Grzegorz Musioł, chief investment engineer at KWK Knurów-Szczygłowice.
The new apparatuses are equipped with advanced electronics including a motion sensor and communication system.
The devices are equipped with an integrated microphone and headphones in the rescue worker's mask, which (using a wireless communication system) will allow each member of the rescue squad to be in constant communication with both the team leader and the rescue base. A wireless rescue communication system is operating successfully at the Knurów-Szczygłowice mine. In the future it is expected to be introduced at other JSW mines.
- The basic infrastructure of the communications system will continue to be used. The apparatuses use repeaters, or signal amplifiers, which are deployed during rescue operations to maintain constant communication between the base and rescue teams. Thanks to this, communication during penetration of mine workings is carried out without interference - says Janusz Grodoń, head of the Mine Rescue Station at the Knurów-Szczygłowice mine.
The first delivery of the purchased equipment for rescue workers is scheduled for late November/early December, and will go to the Szczygłowice Section.
