Being marketed in Australia by Skillpro, the new SCSR has been developed by French breathing equipment specialist Fenzy.

Fenzy told International Longwall News at AIMEX last week it plans to "claw back" a large share of the market with its new product. Its older model previously held 80% of the Australian underground coal market.

The Fenzy OxyPro uses an internal vacuum to seal the case, making it maintenance free as there are no seals to check.

A gauge continuously indicates the pressure inside the casing and needs simply to be checked to make sure the needle is in the green zone.

The apparatus also uses KO2 (potassium superoxide) blocks, as opposed to granules or pellets, thereby avoiding formation of dust which can cause breathing resistance. The block also decreases the surface area required for the chemical.

The SCSR lasts for 30 minutes at 35 litres/minute and weighs 2.2-2.3kg.

The device has been tested to European standards and Skillpro expects Australian approval within a month.