Teams from mining countries across the globe demonstrated rescue skills during the 2022 International Mines Rescue Competition (IMRC), from September 11-16, 2022, at the MSHA Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beaver, West Virginia.
According to the IMRC, the concept of training through competition has been a mainstay of mine rescue organizations around the world for decades, and the practice of nations learning from one another has been the foundation of the event since it was first held in 1999. Participation has grown each year to where the IMRC 2022 featured 22 teams from eight countries.
From September 13 through September 15, teams engaged in a series of competitive events, including mine rescue, first aid, high angle rope rescue, firefighting, and theory assessment. During competition, participants used the Dräger UCF FireVista thermal imaging camera and PSS BG4 CCBA.
Dräger was primary sponsor of the event and Marcus Benedict, Global Trainer, Dräger Academy, Dräger Safety, served as a judge.
“Mine rescue equipment and tactics are constantly evolving so this event facilitates best practice sharing and learning among teams from many different nations in a single location,” said Kent Armstrong, Dräger Global Business Development Manager, Segment Mining at the event.
“Dräger is once again honored to be a part of it, offering education and technology innovations to help advance safety standards through friendly competition.”