Officials in West Virginia have told coal mine operators to provide an inventory of their self-contained self-rescuer emergency oxygen devices by Aug. 15.

"The objective of the inventory and reporting system is to provide the industry with an early warning system for SCSR problems," wrote Jim Dean, acting director of the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training, in a letter sent yesterday to mine operators and independent contractors.

According to a spokeswoman, West Virginia will be the first state to set up a tracking system for the breathing devices.

Questions about the self-rescuers came up after Randal McCloy Jr., the sole survivor from his crew in the Jan. 2 explosion and entrapment at West Virginia's Sago Mine, said four of the crew's 12 SCSRs did not work.

Similar problems were reported in May by Kentucky miner Paul Ledford, who told relatives that his self-rescuer stopped working after five minutes following an explosion at the Darby Mine that killed five.

Beginning next month, West Virginia mine operators must provide the state with information such as make and model of their SCSRs, serial numbers and manufacturing date. They also will be required to provide quarterly updates.

The West Virginia mine safety office estimates there are 10,000 SCSRs in West Virginia's underground mines.

First Published: July 11, 2006, 4:00 a.m.