Breathing new life into old safety device

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Industrial electrician Nick Chornyj knows just how important having the proper breathing equipment can be. He's even passionate about it; and now he wants others to understand and appreciate the need for using a self-contained breathing apparatus while their working in hazardous situations.
 
Three years ago, Chornyj and more than 30 co-workers were overtaken by toxic fumes while working at a northern Alberta refinery.
  They were all  hospitalized for several hours after exposure to noxious hydrogen sulfide gas.
  This frightening experience set the wheels in motion.
  Within months of the incident, Chornyj, a Sault Ste. Marie construction electrician, identified the technology for what he describes as "the most significant design changes" since the introduction of emergency escape apparatus.
 
Today, Chornyj is awaiting regulatory approval to market his vision- an upgraded version of self-contained air-breathing apparatus. He hopes it will be a hit  throughout North America, and eventually around the globe. He has his eye on two  assembly facilities in the Sault and one in Reno, Nev.
 "The project has consumed me for the past three years," said Chornyj, president of FailSafe Campus Inc.
 
Immediately following the industrial accident a shaken Chornyj approached the refinery's safety officer for insight into escape apparatus supplied to refinery fire crews and technicians.
  "I was willing to purchase a unit out of my own pocket for peace of mind," he said.
 There had been little significant design change to the apparatus since first being introduced to the market several decades ago.
  “It was in need of an upgrade . . . user maneuverability was restricted by the bulk and weight of the air cylinder and there were safety concerns, especially when recharging," he said.
  The solution was the FailSafe Air Vest, patent-pending technology using multiple small carbon-composite air cylinders with a protective overwrap, to reduce weight and risk, attached to a compartmentalized body vest.
 
Between three and five cylinders can be attached to the vest, weighing in at between one and nearly one-and-a-half kilograms apiece, and supply the user with 34 to 53 minutes of oxygen.
  And why wasn't such a design attempted by established manufacturers, who market one-cylinder designs?
"They were likely scared away by thoughts of the interconnection (to the cylinders) creating more bulk and the need for additional components  we ended up with a solution where a manifold, controlled by one shutoff-valve, interconnects with all the cylinders," said Chornyj.

The local entrepreneur contributed the idea of multiple cylinders and a compartmentalized vest to the project and joined forces with what he describes as "three world-class sub-contractors" to complete the vision.
  The venture is awaiting National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health certification for North American distribution and expects to begin production in late spring, early summer.
 
FailSafe Campus Inc. will supply the Canadian, European and Asian markets as well as research and development for itself and its parent corporation, FailSafe Air Vest in Reno, Nev., which will distribute to the American, South American and Mexican markets.
  "The market is extensive . . . Anyone who could be exposed to a toxic environment would benefit,"Chornyj.
  Strength and durability of the cylinder are crucial, says Chornyj, with at least 20 serious incidents throughout North America in the past decade, usually while recharging the high-pressure cylinders, Chornyj explains
"A conventional high-pressure cylinder contains the energy of a hand grenade," he said.
 "We reduce the explosive force substantially by distributing the air supply over multiple cylinders and lower the risk of injury by applying a protective overwrap to the cylinder to prevent the scratches and scarring that lead to fatigue."
 
Among investors in the project are more than two dozen members of an Alberta local of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
  "It's a serious endorsement of our technology," said Chornyj, whose vest is compatible with all hazardous material suits.
  "These guys work in gas plants daily, know what they want when it comes to breathing apparatus, and purchased a significant chunk of stock.”WSN