HEALTH & SAFETY
Strata has recently launched a new economical and versatile, lightweight ERC
wheels and hitch packages can be added to assist in handling and manoeuvring.” Maust is also well versed in
dealing with diff erent requirements for diff erent geographic regions. “Regulations for chambers – such as construction, spacing, air supplies, etc. – vary industry to industry and country to country. There is no one set of rules. The US coal mining industry has clear-cut regulations and requirements, but it’s not the same outside of coal,” Maust details. To handle this variety of operating environments and regulations (and enable it to sell to a global audience), Strata off ers a base chamber model with several features primarily related
A look inside one of Strata’s chambers
to life support – such as the air provided, carbon dioxide scrubbing, power, seating, and instructions. “Then we off er a long list of available options and upgrades,” explains Maust.
READY TO GO Once all customer requirements and add-on options are determined, the chamber is built to spec and the mine receives it ready to install. Adding a further layer of safety, Maust reveals that chambers are commissioned and inspected after placement/installation. “We can train mine personnel to do this, or we will go to the mine site to perform the inspections ourselves. The mine operator decides which option works best for them,” he says.
For one remote mine location, Strata held an online video call with the mine personnel as they completed the commissioning: “We were able to check the chamber and settings virtually and lead the mine personnel through the procedure,” confi rms Maust.
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY When asked what the biggest challenges associated with deploying ERCS at mine sites are, it’s not the extreme environments or the fact that any downtime in operations is not well tolerated that Maust highlights. Rather, he says, the biggest challenge occurs when a mine wants to include the remote monitoring system, and the chamber system needs to be connected to the mine’s underground network. “Depending on what network and technology they have, it can be challenging to confi gure our technology to theirs, but we always fi nd a solution,” Maust explains. On another challenging front,
Maust recalls a recent success story where a project in Saudi Arabia had an immediate need for 16 of Strata’s 20-person chambers. “We were able to supply the fi rst three chambers from inventory from our Australian facility, and then supplied the remainder from the US once they were fabricated. We also manufacture chambers in South Africa and have manufactured some in Kazakhstan as well. We have global availability and responsiveness,” states Maust.
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