Copyright 2006 P.G. Publishing Co.
By CINDI LASH
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania)
The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has approved two portable radio systems for use by police and public safety agencies in underground mines.
MSHA tested and approved the hand-held radios in response to widespread calls for better communication and tracking options for miners after an explosion Jan. 2 at West Virginia’s Sago mine trapped and killed 12 miners and injured another.
Since then, two other miners died Jan. 17 after a fire broke out in the Aracoma Alma No. 1 mine near Melville, W.Va., and four others died at other West Virginia mines. The deaths spurred West Virginia lawmakers to require mine operators to equip miners with communications and tracking devices. Lawmakers in Congress and other states have proposed similar measures.
The battery-powered radios, produced by Kenwood Communications Corp., are the first to be approved by MSHA in 10 years. The only other portable radio used underground with the agency’s approval was made by Motorola but hasn’t been sold since 2004, MSHA spokeswoman Amy Louviere said.
“MSHA’s approval of these two models fills a void that currently exists in underground mining,” said MSHA acting Administrator David G. Dye. “It gives mine operators yet another option for communicating underground and ensuring the safety and well-being of their workers.”
MSHA does not require mine operators to use the radios. The Series 90 radios, which operate on UHF or VHF frequencies, will be available for purchase in about two weeks, for $996 each, Kenwood officials said.
MSHA tested the Kenwood radios for safe design and construction at its approval and certification center in Triadelphia, W.Va., before issuing a license to permit their use in mines.
The communication issue has been thorny because some mine operators have said two-way wireless systems don’t always work underground, while some miners and business officials have complained that MSHA has moved too slowly to approve new systems.
The sturdy, heavy-duty radios have been used by public safety officers for about five years, Kenwood spokeswoman Shelley Sanders said. They offer up to 160 channels, operate with a rechargeable battery and are equipped with a speaker microphone, headset and earphone.
MSHA officials said they also expect next week to finish testing other communication and tracking systems at Consol Energy’s McElroy Mine in Marshall County, W.Va. The agency has been testing devices designed to alert miners to emergencies as well as systems to pinpoint their location underground.