News & Information :: Global Security & Engineering Solutions

L-3’s Wireless Mesh Communications System Receives MSHA Approval

Chantilly, Virginia – December 1, 2008 – L-3 Communications’ Global Security & Engineering Solutions division (L-3 GS&ES) announced today that its ACCOLADE Wireless Mesh mine communications system has received final approval from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) for all key system components. This successful approval follows a similar September 2008 approval from the State of West Virginia for the ACCOLADE system under the communications and tracking requirements of West Virginia Rule §56-4.

The fulfillment of these key regulatory approvals now allows L-3 to provide mine operators throughout the country the opportunity to incorporate the ACCOLADE Wireless Mesh system into their Federal- and state-approved mine safety plans. Furthermore, the system is now the only MSHA-approved safety system which incorporates voice, data, and tracking capabilities into a single system [MSHA Approval No. 23-A080015-0 and 23-A080020-0].

“The successful fulfillment of both MSHA and State of West Virginia requirements is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our L-3 staff and partners, and to the commitment of the personnel at the Federal and state levels towards ensuring that advanced mine safety systems are made available to the industry,” said Jerry Bates, president of GS&ES.

The L-3 ACCOLADE Wireless Mesh system has been developed under a research and development contract from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). As part of this NIOSH contract, a complete prototype version of the system has been deployed in the International Coal Group’s Sentinel Mine (Philippi, WV).

L-3 will begin large-scale commercial sales and installations of its Wireless Mesh system throughout the coal mining industry beginning in January 2009.

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