Silver Mining Safety Equipment and Solutions

Carroll Technologies has been supporting over 800 mines across North America for more than 40 years, and has searched the market to find only the best and most reliable safety equipment to mitigate the risks to workers in the mining industry.

Protective clothing for silver mining

Silver mines need to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep their workers safe. These items protect against falling debris, chemical exposure, and potential collisions with heavy equipment.

For its range of wearable protective equipment, such as gloves, hearing protection and high visibility garments, Carroll Technologies supplies solutions manufactured by Protective Industrial Products (PIP). According to Allen Haywood, president of Carroll Technologies: “PIP supplies just about anything that is a personal protective device. It’s a good company that we’ve been relying on for protective equipment for many years.”

When it comes to hard hats, Carroll Technologies has sought out the best that the mining industry has to offer, including the following from leading manufacturers:

• MPS Centurion Vision hard hat
• MPS Centurion Spectrum hard hat
• MSA hard hat
• NLT hard hat
• 475369-B V-Guard Hard Hat
• 475336 Comfo Cap Hard Hat

Respiratory protection in silver mines

Silver mining can generate dust, as well as toxic fumes and gases that pose serious health risks to miners. Respiratory protection equipment, such as dust masks, respirators, and self-contained breathing apparatus, are vital to prevent inhalation of harmful particles and gases. Properly fitted masks and respirators filter out hazardous substances, maintaining miners’ respiratory health.

Carroll Technologies supplies the industry-leading W65 Self-Rescuer Respirator from MSA, which protects against carbon monoxide poisoning. Encased inside a rugged, stainless-steel case, the lightweight W65 features a positive hermetic seal and offers an in-service life of ten years. Furthermore, MSA’s Altair 4X and Altair 5X handheld gas detection devices can simultaneously measure up to four to five gases.

The M-20 by Ocenco is the world’s smallest self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR), which uses compressed oxygen to provide respiratory protection for up to 32 minutes. Ocenco’s EBA 6.5 is designed for bulk storage in the refuge chamber of a mine. It uses compressed oxygen rather than an oxidisation process, making it more comfortable to wear with a longer window of active use. Unlike other devices, it can be refurbished and upgraded.

Adequate ventilation systems are also crucial to maintaining a safe atmosphere and preventing respiratory issues among workers. Properly designed ventilation systems help control dust and maintain air quality, ensuring that miners breathe clean air while on-site. Carroll Technologies supplies a range of high-quality products such as ventilation tubing from Bluefield Manufacturing, which manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of brattice ventilation curtains and associated equipment for mines and tunnels.

Fall protection equipment

When working at heights or in elevated areas, safety harnesses, lanyards, and anchorage systems are required to prevent falls. OSHA fall protection standards dictate that workers who are required to be on any surface more than 6ft high with an unprotected edge must have fall protection equipment.

Fall protection equipment available through Carroll Technologies includes:

• MSA retractable lanyards
• MSA vest-style harnesses
• MSA full-body harnesses
• MSA lanyard restraints
• MSA trauma prevention
• MSA lanyards with hooks
• Honeywell Miller AirCore harnesses
• Honeywell personal fall limiter

Lighting equipment for silver mines

Ample lighting is crucial for safety, providing work areas with visibility and preventing accidents. Carroll Technologies supplies both fixed and portable lighting solutions from the most reliable manufacturers on the market.

Northern Light Technologies’ (NLT) Polaris lamp is the most-used cordless cap lamp in mines across the globe. Carroll Technologies not only supplies these cap lights, but also acts as a service centre for NLT products and stocks repair parts. Other portable lighting solutions include the Illumagear Halo, which provides 360° visibility for a quarter of a mile and is compatible with any standard hard hat. This cordless cap light provides powerful floodlighting and spotlights while enabling freedom of movement.

X-Glo’s innovative LED Strip Lighting offers permanent and temporary lighting for miners. While conventional lighting requires separate power and a wired connection for each lamp, x-Glo’s product plugs into an existing power source.

Communications equipment

Carroll Technologies can assess industry sites to ascertain what equipment is required to maintain effective communication. Does a large site require radio antennas and repeaters, and where are the best locations to prevent blackspots? If a project is operating underground, does it need leaky feeder cable installed? And if it is a public building, does cellular or RF radio coverage need to be improved for emergency responders with an active or passive DAS system?

Icom has been making rugged, two-way radio products for more than 50 years and can meet any communications needs, from underground silver mining to large buildings.

Carroll Technologies also supplies an extensive range of mining phones and leaky feeder systems through Pyott-Boone Electronics (PBE). PBE’s Leaky Feeder System can be customised for specific site requirements to ensure optimal radio coverage and data communications, and its two-way radios offer complete communications coverage at any silver mining site.