Signal Peak Energy, LLC submitted a petition to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requesting a change in the safety standards for their Bull Mountains Mine No. 1. The company wants to use a different brand of respirators, the Dräger X-plore 8700 Powered Air Purifying Respirators, to protect miners from dust because they offer better performance than their current equipment. Although the new respirators don't have MSHA approval, they are certified as safe for use in hazardous environments. The proposal outlines detailed conditions for using these respirators, such as battery charging procedures and safety checks, to ensure they provide the same level of protection as the current standards.
Simple Explanation
Signal Peak Energy wants to use new safety masks in their mine because they think these masks do a better job at keeping dust away from workers, like switching to a better superhero mask to keep the air clean.