News

August 9, 2007

Area firm lights up mine effort

Koehler Bright Star ships special flashlights to be used in Utah rescue.

By Tom Venesky tvenesky@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter
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More than 2,000 miles away, crews in Utah are working around the clock in an attempt to rescue the six miners trapped 1,500 feet below the ground.

On Tuesday, they turned to a local company for help.

Officials with the Mine Safety and Health Administration contacted Koehler Bright Star facility to see if it had any products that would help them see through the thick dust and smoke clouding the mine.

Kohler, a manufacturer of flashlight products in the Hanover Industrial Park, shipped out two Lighthawk flashlights later that day, according to Matthew Malcolm, company vice president.

“They called for our recommendations with lighting, and we immediately shipped out two Lighthawks,” Malcolm said. “The flashlights are there today, and I anticipate shipping more.”

Malcolm, a graduate of College Misericordia, where he is an adjunct professor, said the Lighthawks came on the market last year and received a patent in June. The lights were recommended for the rescue operation because they are lightweight, rechargeable and powered by lithium ion cells that allow the light to easily penetrate smoke, fog, dust and particulate in the air.

The lights are sparkproof and equipped with an LED light on the back so the rescuers can be seen from all directions.

“These lights will provide the illumination needed for the difficult smoke and debris-filled atmospheres encountered in Utah,” Malcolm said. “In dark, unpredictable environments like this, your flashlight becomes an anchor and allows you some control of a very difficult environment.”

Because the flashlight is lightweight, bright and durable – it can last 12 hours on one charge – Malcolm said it is also being used by several first responder units, such as the New York City Transit workers in the dark subway tunnels and the New York City Fire Department.

Koehler Bright Star, which maintains its headquarters and production facility in the Hanover Industrial Park, controls 80 percent of the U.S. market in cap lamps, which are commonly worn by miners.

Since the 2006 mine explosion in West Virginia that killed 12 miners, Malcolm said there has been an emphasis on safety in the mining industry. Considering his company’s involvement in meeting the lighting needs of miners, Malcolm said it continually drafts new designs to improve safety.

“That’s why we worked to create a bright, safe light like this,” he said. “Knowing that a tool we designed and developed is being used in Utah is a very satisfying feeling for our company.”

Tom Venesky, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7230.

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