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3. M-20 Care and Maintenance:
3.1 How to Care for the M-20
The M-20 is designed to be belt worn in an underground mining environment.
The M-20 is fully shock absorbed in all directions within an impact and abrasion
resistant case. Ocenco, Incorporated, NIOSH (USA), and private testing
laboratories have performed numerous durability tests on the M-20 to ensure that
it will withstand the harsh underground mining environment. However, like all self-
rescuers it is not indestructible. Abusing your own self-rescuer is risking your life
in the event of an emergency. Abusing someone else
’s self-rescuer should be
considered criminal. Within the system of distributing the M-20
’s to mining
personnel there should be consideration for accountability of the condition of the
self-rescuer when it is returned. Teaching trainees to care for the M-20 must be a
combination of instruction and enforcement.
Your life may depend on the care you give your self-rescuer. The list of things
you should NOT do to the M-20 could be extensive. The more common abuses
are:
1.) If the M-20 is accidentally opened, do not attempt to re-close it.
2.) Do not drop the M-20, particularly when taking off the belt.
3.) Do not clean the M-20 with anything other than soft brush.
4.) Do not immerse the M-20 in water. Even though the M-20 has been
tested to withstand immersion in water, it is not recommended on a
regular basis.
5.) Do not sit on the M-20.
6.) Do not drag the M-20 on the ground.
7.) Do not place the M-20 near heat greater than 140º F (60º C).
8.) Do not put tape or stickers on the M-20 that would impede its opening
or reading the gauge.
