MSA hard hats used by Chilean rescuers
CRANBERRY TWP — Mine Safety Appliances world headquarters in Cranberry is nearly 5,000 miles away from 33 miners trapped underground in Chile, but the company is much closer to the rescue efforts than people think.
The miners became trapped more than 2,200 feet underground on Aug. 5 after a rock collapse at the San Jose copper and gold mine. Estimates by the Chilean Mining Ministry initially forecast that the men will be trapped for up to four months while crews work to rescue them.
Mark Deasy, a spokesman for MSA, said he wasn't aware of any local connection to the miners until company officials saw news footage of the 33 men trapped underground. That footage clearly showed the men wearing hard hats manufactured by MSA.
Deasy also said the hundreds of people engaged in the rescue operation are wearing MSA manufactured "V-Guard" hard hats, which are the "flagship product" of the company. One picture, Deasy said, shows the head coordinator of all the rescue operations wearing the V-Guard hat.
"MSA doesn't sell products directly to the mine but we know from news video clips that our hats are being used by the miners and people working on rescue crews," Deasy said. "As of now we're coordinating with rescue efforts to assess what else is needed."
The company also is in the process of donating and shipping more than 400 air respirators and protective eye equipment to the mine site, equipment that might be used by the trapped miners while they await rescue.
"Some doctors on site said the miners need that type of protection," Deasy said. "We're standing ready with equipment, and we need to stand ready to support other needs if we can."
This isn't the first time MSA has dealt with a rescue operation concerning trapped miners. The company sent methane and oxygen monitoring devices for use by rescue crews during the Quecreek mine operation in 2002 in Somerset County.
All nine Quecreek miners were eventually rescued after 78 hours underground.
