In January 2022, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) granted Buchanan mine #1 approval to use a revolutionary new device called the CleanSpace EX Powered Respirator in the working faces of our coal mine. At the time, there were no powered respirators approved for use in the U.S.
Our underground operations in Logan were subsequently approved to use the CleanSpace EX in 2023.
While the CleanSpace Ex is an intrinsically safe device approved for use in other countries, Buchanan mine #1 and our Logan division had to file a Petition for Modification with MSHA to utilise the device at our work sites. Approval was granted under a number of conditions, including the requirement for weekly permissibility checks on each unit, record keeping and specialised training.
The benefits of the respirators include:
- Very high protection from coal mine dust and silica
- No fogging of glasses or masks
- Unrestricted breathing
- Lightweight units, with no requirement for belts or waist-mounted battery packs, making the CleanSpace Ex comfortable and easy to wear over long periods of time
- Reusability and cost effectiveness.
The management at Coronado U.S. has made CleanSpace Ex respirators available to every employee if requested, and we have worked closely with the device manufacturer to provide feedback from our operators to enable improvements to be made to increase comfort levels.
