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BUSINESS
Safe Haven coal mine chambers nearly ready
Carbonoks COO Gary Midkiff stands in the manufacturing plant at Rock Branch Industrial Park, beside the Safe Haven rescue chamber.
Purchase this photoPOCA, W.Va. -- Carbonoks, located in the Rock Branch Industrial Park near Poca, will be rolling its first Safe Haven coal mine rescue chamber off the assembly line soon.
The units will be produced in Poca, providing up to 90 jobs.
A Safe Haven unit travels with miners into the underground mine to provide a shelter in case of an emergency. It moves throughout the mine on skids or on a shuttle car. Up to 16 miners can retreat to the chamber and await rescue. The chamber is made of a unique material that can withstand high heat temperatures, is explosive resistant and is airtight.
It provides an environment to sustain the miners with oxygen, water, food, safe waste disposal and a carbon dioxide removal device.
Communication devices are also in place, giving the miners assurance that emergency workers on the surface are aware of the chamber's vitals and the condition of the miners.
"It has been thoroughly thought through, designed and tested," said Carbonoks Chief Operating Officer Gary Midkiff. "We know exactly what this chamber will and will not do. We know what it can survive. This product is one-of-a-kind."
Safe Haven has an advanced air-purging system that operates automatically when miners enter the shelter to prevent toxic fumes from following the miner into the chamber. It also has an entry airlock, allowing the interior chamber to remain isolated from the anterior chamber and the exterior.
It is constructed of a steel framework nestled inside a shell of carbon foam. Aside from carbon foam's strength, it also has the ability to shed heat. The glass fiber reinforced polymer panels can withstand 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes without sustaining significant damage and still maintaining 80 degrees Fahrenheit inside the shelter. At 400 degrees, the shelter can withstand exposures for one-and-three-quarter hours while maintaining 80-degree interior temperatures.
West Virginia Office of Mining Safety public information director Jama Jarrett said that the $150,000 price tag for the Safe Haven is about average for mine shelters.
"I can tell you that the Safe Haven has not yet been approved by the Office of Mining Safety, but I think it is probably feasible," Jarrett said.
Midkiff said that that the company already has more than 100 customers interested in purchasing the device, although no sales may be made until the Office of Mining Safety approves it.
Safe Haven is capable of sustaining blast loads in excess of 95 pounds per square inch and can protect miners from the initial explosion and frequent secondary explosions during a mining disaster.
The safety of miners will increase significantly, which has a direct effect on those close to him or her.
"Our focus is on the families," said Midkiff. "They're the whole reason we're putting this together. The miner has to make a living to support his family. His family doesn't want him in a mine that's unsafe and to risk their lives."
Families of the Carbonoks employees also have been a strong consideration.
"The way we do business is we want to provide our employees with full benefits, not deductibles," Midkiff stated. "We want to set it as a standard here. We want to provide 401(k) and profit sharing. We want everyone to be motivated to stay here. And every job is going to pay at least $15 per hour. We're designing and building a company with a solid business philosophy.
"We're providing good jobs, good benefits and a place to stay employed for the rest of their life, if they wish to."
Carbonoks is moving forward this summer toward a goal of being fully functioning this fall.
"By the end of December, we'll have approximately 90 employees, of which at least 60 will be manufacturing jobs," said Midkiff. "We'll also have some IT positions and administration jobs that spin off from it. They're viable jobs that can support a family. All of our investors know this. Everything in our business plan is built in that direction."
Even with the encouraging news of jobs coming to the area, the focus has not been lost on the mission of a Safe Haven rescue chamber.
"The day that a man walks out of a mine because his life was saved because of the shelter -- everything we've done, it will all be worthwhile," said Midkiff.
For more information about Safe Haven or Carbonoks, visit www.carbonoks.com.
