The MediSAFE is a robust, self-contained structure designed to provide the necessary tools and a sterile, safe working environment for first aid treatment. The station removes the risk of delivering injured personnel to the surface or over long distances to sickbay to give simple first-aid treatment and initial triage assessment.
The latest addition to MineARC’s product range is simple and effective. Identifying an opportunity for improvement in the industry, MineARC Systems has developed the first portable, freestanding first aid station explicitly designed for application in the underground mining industry.
Investing in Product Research for Safer Environments
As leaders in the field of emergency refuge and industrial safety, MineARC Systems has always placed a strong emphasis on research and development. Our Innovation Committee consists of qualified engineers and R&D advocates who continually work to identify niche issues and obstacles within the industry, developing unique solutions that help clients improve safety, reduce costs and make operations more straightforward.
Like all heavy industries in Australia, the underground mining industry has a reputation for risk and injury; however, it has taken great strides toward proactive avoidance of risk and harm. As a result, occupational Health and Safety have become a key focus and a government-mandated requirement for all mining operations.
First Aid in Underground Environments
Safe Work Australia’s ‘First Aid in the Workplace’ requires high-risk workplaces with 100 or more workers to provide adequate on-site first aid facilities and a dedicated medically trained first aid officer.
Generally speaking, these facilities and personnel are located on the surface or permanent underground sick bays built into the mine. As a result, the process of administering basic first aid to personnel can prove to be inefficient, with time-consuming travel to the surface or around the mine involved.
Seeking to provide a more flexible solution to first aid, MineARC has developed Australia’s first portable medical station explicitly designed for the underground mining environment – the MediSAFE First Aid Station. Boasting many of the iconic features of a MineARC chamber, the MediSAFE carries MineARC’s reputation for a seamless design, innovative engineering and fail-safe functionality into on-site medical services.
MediSAFE Portable First Aid Station for Underground Sites
The MediSAFE features a solid 3mm steel construction with insulated walls and air-conditioning, delivered with a comprehensive fit-out tailored for first aid applications. The divided interior has two sections – a front seated area for personnel to await treatment and a rear screened examination area, featuring a medical-grade gurney and oxygen cylinders, refrigerated storage facilities, and eye-wash station and ablutions. An external annex at the chamber’s front has shower facilities and an additional eyewash station.
MineARC offers additional options such as a fully pressurised airlock, UPS battery backup, and remote camera monitoring to combat underground mining’s harsh environment further. Sites can also request a complete upgrade to all medical equipment, including an electric blood pressure station, stainless steel dressing trolley, and premium examination bed.
The MediSAFE can reduce risk to injured personnel, allowing faster assessment of injuries and more efficient treatment within a hygienic and safe environment. The MediSAFE can also reduce the operational costs of delivering injured personnel to the surface or to a permanent first aid room that could be several hundred metres away for assessment.