Self-contained self-rescue device
Encyclopedia
Self-contained self-rescue device, SCSR, or self-contained self-rescuer, is a portable oxygen
source for providing breathable air when the surrounding atmosphere lacks oxygen or is contaminated with toxic gases, eg. carbon monoxide
. A SCSR is usually a closed-circuit breathing apparatus with a chemical oxygen generator
or a compressed oxygen cylinder and a carbon dioxide
absorber. SCSRs are most commonly used in some coal mines, are intended for one person, and usually supply at least one hour of oxygen. They are sometimes referred to as air packs. SCSRs are intended to facilitate escape from mines after a fire or explosion. Use for other purposes is discouraged.
Some SCSRs use potassium superoxide
as a chemical oxygen source.
Faulty SCSRs were implicated in the Sago Mine disaster
.
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
source for providing breathable air when the surrounding atmosphere lacks oxygen or is contaminated with toxic gases, eg. carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
. A SCSR is usually a closed-circuit breathing apparatus with a chemical oxygen generator
Chemical oxygen generator
A chemical oxygen generator is a device releasing oxygen created by a chemical reaction. The oxygen source is usually an inorganic superoxide, chlorate, or perchlorate. A promising group of oxygen sources are ozonides. The generators are usually ignited mechanically, by a firing pin, and the...
or a compressed oxygen cylinder and a carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
absorber. SCSRs are most commonly used in some coal mines, are intended for one person, and usually supply at least one hour of oxygen. They are sometimes referred to as air packs. SCSRs are intended to facilitate escape from mines after a fire or explosion. Use for other purposes is discouraged.
Some SCSRs use potassium superoxide
Potassium superoxide
Potassium superoxide is the chemical compound with the formula KO2. This rare salt of the superoxide ion is produced by burning molten potassium in pure oxygen...
as a chemical oxygen source.
Faulty SCSRs were implicated in the Sago Mine disaster
Sago Mine disaster
The Sago Mine disaster was a coal mine explosion on January 2, 2006, in the Sago Mine in Sago, in Upshur County, West Virginia, USA, near the county seat of Buckhannon. The blast and collapse trapped 13 miners for nearly two days; one miner survived...
.