Known formally as OX-GEN Model 6-OXSR-01, the emergency pack can produce a continuous flow of 99.97% pure oxygen for more than two hours at a flow rate of about 1.25 liters per minute, exceeding the adequate level to sustain life. At a weight of 15 pounds, the unit can be carried on the back or by hand during use.
OX-GEN director of national distribution and marketing Rob DesAulniers said the unit, made of a corrosion- and rust-proof heavy-duty plastic, is unique because it is non-pressurised.
“The duration of oxygen production in other chemical-based rebreathers used as escape-only SCSRs depends on the user’s physical exertion, meaning that the user must limit movement for the oxygen to last the maximum time,” DesAulniers said.
“The OX-GEN system will continuously produce [for] over two hours … regardless of the physical exertion of the user.”
Another advantage of the system is its design which, in part, considered the disadvantages of prior models by other companies.
“Current escape-only SCSRs on the market today require the user to bite down securely onto a mouthpiece in order to use [the unit], thereby inhibiting the user’s ability to speak.
“The OX-GEN SCSR hood/mask apparatus allows the user to speak … for effective communication with fellow users, as well as mine personnel on the surface.”
Company representatives have been making the rounds to industry conferences in recent months, appearing at the International Mine Health and Safety Symposium in Wheeling, West Virginia earlier this year and presenting the unit at the 11th US/North American Mine Ventilation conference at Penn State University earlier this month.
At both events, OX-GEN operations vice president Mark Michaud offered demonstrations of the ease of the unit’s use and, with the use of a mannequin, how the unit is donned.
Much like the process used in the set-up of packs currently available, the unit can be started from the bottom up. Clear indicators on the side literally make the activation a 1-2-3 process by turning three knobs which initiate the pack’s chemical reaction which produces the oxygen.
OX-GEN’s generation system was also designed for easy, compact storage, with fire- and explosion-proof steel caches holding up to 48 units. The caches can be placed at intervals along an operation’s escape route, DesAulniers said, with each cache providing more than 96 hours of continuous oxygen.
According to Michaud, OX-GEN currently is preparing data required for MSHA and NIOSH evaluation and approval; it plans to submit the system within the next few months.
Michaud is confident the introduction of the company’s system will be a giant step in rescue technology, which he said has historically been “stagnant”, and that the system can and will save lives.
“With this, underground miners facing an emergency can have the confidence of quickly donning a product that they know will be safe and reliable … [when] escaping the harsh environment of a mine fire or explosion.”
