Sources Sought - Cole Parmer Products.docx

I. INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of the Senior Procurement Executive (OSPE), is issuing this Sources Sought Notice - Request for Information for information on behalf of the Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) to improve its understanding of the market and identify qualified vendors capable of providing respirable dust cassettes and other related products that have received NIOSH certification and MSHA approval through its Approval & Certification Center located in Triadelphia, West Virginia.

II. BACKGROUND

MSHA currently uses the Cole-Parmer Respirable Dust Cassettes in conjunction with Cole Parmer Escort Elf pump for monitoring dust levels in underground mines. At the time of the issuance of this sources sought notice, the Government is unaware of any other companies that can provide the approved products, but is seeking responses from any sources that have received the required NIOSH certification and MSHA approval for them.

MSHA monitors the working environment of mines in order to determine if the concentration of respirable dust including silica bearing respirable mine dust is being effectively controlled by measures utilized by the mine operator. Exposure to coal mine or metal/nonmetal mine respirable dust which may contain quartz may lead to the development of Pneumoconiosis and/or Silicosis. Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA’s) regulations (30 CFR parts 70, 71, 90, and 56/57) establish exposure level standards that are designed to reduce the incidence of disease if a miner’s exposures are maintained at or below the established concentration limits. Reducing overexposures will ultimately lead to a reduction in the incident of pneumoconiosis cases among the current coal mine and metal and nonmetal mine workforce. MSHA takes samples in mines using sampling apparatus that conform to and have been tested and approved against the requirements listed in 30 CFR Part 74 by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Any equipment used in underground coal mines, or other gassy mines or tunnels must also be certified by MSHA as intrinsically safe or electrically permissible.

Industrial hygiene (IH) air sampling in mines is for full-shift exposures which often extend to 12 hours or more due to extended mining work shifts. MSHA must purchase products with the required approvals that are able to accurately measure respirable dust levels in U.S. mines during inspections. The dust sampling pumps are used in mandated inspections, impact inspections, health surveys, and compliance evaluations and also meet UL standards.

III. OBJECTIVE

The objective of this procurement is to locate vendors who can provide NIOSH certified and MSHA approved respirable dust sampling equipment.

IV. PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

The following 6 products are required:

0001 Respirable Dust Cassette (Coal Division) Part # 803463

0002 Respirable Dust Cassette (MNM Division) Part # 10011208

0003 Escort Elf Pump Part # P5-ELF2-5-1-0-0 (w/ setting of ELF 2 for the Coal Division)

0004 Escort Elf Pump Part # P5-ELF2-5-1-0-0 (w/ setting of ELF1for the Metal/Non-Metal Division

0005 Replacement Battery Packs Part # 10087242

0006 Cyclone Assembly Part # 456243 Below is a description of the products with their specifications:

Cole Parmer Escort Elf Pump (Battery Pack), Cyclone Assemblies, and Dust Filter Cassette Assembly Must be manufactured in accordance to 30 CFR Part 74 specifications Must be NIOSH approved for use as part of respirable dust personal sampling units meeting the requirements of 30 CFR Part 74.

§ 74.3 Sampler unit.

A CMDPSU shall consist of:

(a) A pump unit,

(b) A sampling head assembly, and

(c) If rechargeable batteries are used in the pump unit, a battery charger.

§ 74.4 Specifications of sampler unit.

(a) Pump unit:

(1) Dimensions. The overall dimensions of the pump unit, hose connections, and valve or switch covers shall not exceed 4 inches (10 centimeters) in height, 4 inches (10 centimeters) in width, and 2 inches (5 centimeters) in thickness.

(2) Weight. The pump unit shall not weigh more than 20 ounces (567 grams).

(3) Construction. The case and all components of the pump unit shall be of sufficiently durable construction to endure the wear of use in a coal mine, shall be tight fitting to minimize the amount of dust entering the pump case, and shall be designed to protect against radio frequency interference and electromagnetic interference.

(4) Exhaust. The pump shall exhaust into the pump case, maintaining a slight positive pressure which will reduce the entry of dust into the pump case.

(5) Switch. The pump unit shall be equipped with an ON/OFF switch or equivalent device on the outside of the pump case. This switch shall be protected against accidental operation during use and protected to keep dust from entering the mechanisms.

(6) Flow rate adjustment. Except as provided in the last sentence of this paragraph, the pump unit shall be equipped with a suitable means of flow rate adjustment accessible from outside the case.

The flow rate adjuster shall be recessed in the pump case and protected against accidental adjustment. If the pump is capable of maintaining the flow rate consistency required in this part without adjustment, an external flow rate adjuster is not required.

(7) Battery. The power supply for the pump shall be a suitable battery located in the pump case or in a separate case which attaches to the pump case by a permissible electrical connection.

(8) Pulsation.

(i) The irregularity in flow rate due to pulsation shall have a fundamental frequency of not less than 20 Hz.

(ii) The quantity of respirable dust collected with a sampler unit shall be within ±5 percent of that collected with a sampling head assembly operated with non-pulsating flow.

(9) Belt clips. The pump unit shall be provided with a belt clip which will hold the pump securely on a coal miner’s belt.

(10) Recharging connection. A suitable connection shall be provided so that the battery may be recharged without removing the battery from the pump case or from the battery case if a separate battery case is used.

(11) Flow rate indicator. A visual indicator of flow rate shall be provided either as an integral part of the pump unit or of the sampling head assembly. The flow rate indicator shall be calibrated within ±5 percent at 2.2, 2.0, and 1.7 liters per minute to indicate the rate of air passing through the accompanying sampling head assembly.

(12) Flow rate range. The pump shall be capable of operating within a range of from 1.5 to 2.5 liters per minute and shall be adjustable over this range.

(13) Flow rate consistency. The flow shall remain within ±0.1 liters per minute over at least a 10-hour period when the pump is operated at 2 liters per minute with a standard sampling head assembly.

(14) Flow restriction indicator. The pump shall be capable of detecting restricted flow and providing a visual indication if it occurs. The flow restriction indicator shall remain activated until the cause is corrected. The pump shall shut down automatically if flow is restricted for one minute.

(15) Duration of operation. The pump with a fully charged battery pack shall be capable of operating for:

(i) not less than 8 hours at a flow rate of 2 liters per minute against a resistance of 25 inches (64 centimeters) of water measured at the inlet of the pump; and

(ii) for not less than 10 hours at a flow rate of 2 liters per minute against a resistance of 15 inches (38 centimeters) of water measured at the inlet of the pump.

(16) Low battery indicator. The pump unit shall be equipped with a visual indicator of low battery power.

(17) Elapsed time indicator. The pump unit shall be capable of displaying the actual pump run time in minutes (up to 999 minutes) and retaining the last reading after the pump is shut down due to either a flow restriction described in paragraph (a)(14) of this section or low battery power described in paragraph (a)(16) of this section or at the end of the sampling shift.

(b) Sampling head assembly. The sampling head assembly shall consist of a cyclone and a filter assembly as follows:

(1) Cyclone. The cyclone shall consist of a cyclone body with removable grit cap and a vortex finder and shall be constructed of nylon or a material equivalent in performance. The dimensions of the components, with the exception of the grit cap, shall be identical to those of a Dorr-Oliver 10 millimeter cyclone body, part No. 28541/4A or 01B11476–01 and vortex finder, part No.

28541/4B.

(2) Filter assembly. The filter assembly shall meet the following requirements:

(i) Filter. The filter shall be a membrane filter type with a nominal pore size not over 5 micrometers. It shall be nonhydroscopic and shall not dissolve or decompose when immersed in ethyl or isopropyl alcohol. The strength and surface characteristics of the filter shall be such that dust deposited on its surface may be removed by ultrasonic methods without tearing the filter. The filter resistance shall not exceed 2 inches (0.5 centimeters) of water at an airflow rate of 2 liters per minute.

(ii) Capsule. The capsule enclosing the filter shall not permit sample air to leak around the filter and shall prevent visual inspection of the filter surface or filter loading. The capsule shall be made of nonhydroscopic material. Its weight, including the enclosed filter, shall not exceed 5 grams and it shall be pre-weighed by the manufacturer with a precision of ±0.001 milligrams. Impact to the capsule shall not dislodge any dust from the capsule, which might then be lost to the weight measurement.

(iii) Cassette. The cassette shall enclose the capsule so as to prevent contamination and intentional or inadvertent alteration of dust deposited on the filter. The cassette must be easily removable without causing a loss or gain of capsule weight. The cassette shall be designed to prevent contaminants from entering or dust from leaving the capsule when it is not in use, and to prevent the reversal of airflow through the capsule or other means of removing dust collected on the filter.

(3) Arrangement of components. The connections between the cyclone vortex finder and the capsule and between the capsule and the 14-inch (0.64 centimeters) (inside diameter) hose mentioned in paragraph (b)(5) of this section shall be mechanically firm and shall not leak at a rate of more than 0.1 liters per hour under a vacuum of 4 inches (10 centimeters) of water.

(4) Clamping of components. The clamping and positioning of the cyclone body, vortex finder, and cassette shall be rigid, remain in alignment, be firmly in contact and airtight. The cyclone cassette assembly shall be attached firmly to a backing plate or other means of holding the sampling head in position. The cyclone shall be held in position so that the inlet opening of the cyclone is pointing perpendicular to, and away from, the backing plate.

(5) Hose. A 3-foot (91 centimeter) long, 14-inch (0.64 centimeters) (inside diameter) clear plastic hose shall be provided to form an airtight connection between the inlet of the sampler pump and the outlet of the filter assembly. A device, capable of sliding along the hose and attaching to the miner’s outer garment, shall be provided.

(c) Battery charger.

(1) Power supply. The battery charger shall be operated from a 110 (VAC) (nominal), 60 Hz power line.

(2) Connection. The battery charger shall be provided with a cord and polarized connector so that it may be connected to the charge socket on the pump or battery case.

(3) Protection. The battery charger shall be fused, shall have a grounded power plug, and shall not be susceptible to damage by being operated without a battery on charge.

(4) Charge rates. The battery charger shall be capable of fully recharging the battery in the pump unit within 16 hours.

Packaging (this is a necessary requirement for the laboratory which is related to the specifications in 74.3(b)(2) above. Placed here to keep the references from Part 74 verbatim.)

Coal cassettes require a data card that contains the cassette/filter weight and unique eight digit cassette serial number.

Metal and nonmetal cassettes require the cassette/filter weight recorded and unique six digit cassette serial number.

One pre-addressed cardboard container must be provided with every five coal cassettes. [No container for the metal and nonmetal batch.] Each individual dust cassette must be placed in sealed bag with a label clearly indicating the lot number.

Five dust cassettes are packaged in a sealable bag with a label clearly indicating the lot number, reference number, and the QR code.

Cole Parmer Escort Elf Pump with battery The part numbers for the Cole Parmer approved sampler units (pumps): P-5-ELF2-5-1-0-0

The pump with a fully charged battery pack shall be capable of operating for (i) not less than 8 hours at a flow rate of 2 liters per minute against a resistance of 25 inches (64 centimeters) of water measured at the inlet of the pump; and (ii) for not less than 10 hours at a flow rate of 2 liters per minute against a resistance of 15 inches (38 centimeters) of water measured at the inlet of the pump.

The pump has to allow for low flow control sampling rates, specifically at a minimum of 0.001 lpm (1 milliliter per minute), for IH sampling of various other contaminants in the mine environment. The dust pump must allow for calibration with a variety of manufacturers’ calibrators, including the use of low flow settings. The pump needs to electronically display run time, flow rate, and indicate flow restrictions and low battery condition.

The pump needs to account for air flow using electronic laminar flow and display the flow rate digitally. An electronic laminar flow sensor must provide constant flow and remain unaffected by pressure drops caused by adding media and sampling load, or atmospheric pressure changes. The sensor must also provide an internal flow rate standard for pump calibration. Minimally, the pump flow meter accuracy at full scale has to be at ± 2.5% at flow rates between 1 and 3 lpm and ± 5.0% at flow rates between 0.5 and 3 lpm of the actual reading.

Must have the capability to shut down within 90 seconds if blockage is not cleared.

Must be able to hold the last reading after either flow blockage or low battery shutdown and when pump is off or in hold mode.

Volumetric flow rate must be able to be held within ± 2.5% of set-point over the 1-to-3 lpm operating range (± 5% to 0.5 lpm).

Pump weight with battery must be less than 25 oz.

Battery pack must hold charge for 14 hours or longer.

Battery must have 300 or more charging cycles.

4.8-volt battery pack with four NiMH cell power supply.

Must be able to operate in low and high temperature.

The back of the dust pump will have a non-destructive label affixed to distinguish the pump as being operational in either MSHA coal or metal and nonmetal mines with factory default setting programed for respirable dust sampling in coal or metal and nonmetal mines respectively. The color-coded label will specifically contain the following language “MNM: 1.7 lpm” and “Coal: 2.0 lpm”. The dust pump will feature two default program settings accessible from the face plate menu; displaying the number “1” for Elf 1 settings and “2” for Elf 2 setting.

The dust pump will feature two default settings:

Elf 1 setting for Metal and Nonmetal Mine Inspections sampling:

1.7 lpm flow rate setting No flow rate restriction shut down. If the flow of a dust pump is restricted and the pump stops, the pump will continue to attempt to restart.

Elf 2 setting for Coal Mine Inspections sampling:

2.0 lpm flow rate setting No flow rate restriction shut down. If the flow of a dust pump is restricted and the pump stops, the pump will continue to attempt to restart.

Warranty: Commercial warranty for all products is required.

Replacement Battery for Cole Parmer Escort Elf Pump Part #10087242 Battery must be able to work with Escort ELF pump.

Battery pack must operate the pump for 12 hours or longer.

Battery must have 300 or more charging cycles.

4.8-volt battery pack with four NiMH cell power supply.

Dorr-Oliver Cyclone, holder assembly and sampling line for Cole Parmer Escort Elf Pump Part #456243 Meets ACGIH respirable curve with a 10.0 micron particle removal at 1.7 lpm.

Meets requirements of NIOSH method 0600 for particulates not otherwise regulated, respirable nuisance dust.

Meets requirements of NIOSH method 7500, 7501, 7601, 7602 for silica bearing dust.

Designed to withstand the harsh mining environment.

Must be made for use with MSHA pre-weighted filter cassette assembly when sampling for respirable mine dust.

Must be able to separate respirable dust particles from non-respirable particles as specified by ACGIH (black curve).

Must meet specifications per 30 CFR part 74.

The regulations in Part 30 CFR Part 74 list the requirements for approval of coal mine dust sampling devices for determining the concentrations of respirable dust in coal mine atmosphere, and the procedures for applying for such approval, test procedures and labeling. The Part 74 approval covers the entire sampling system which must include the pump, battery, sampling head and filter assembly. An electronic copy of 30 CFR Part 74 can be found at:

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/textidx?

SID=b849128e1ff712d6a6348fe99349248a&mc=true&node=pt30.1.74&rgn=div5. Information about obtaining MSHA approvals can be found at: https://www.msha.gov/support-resources/equipment-approvalcertification.

V. INDUSTRY FEEDBACK

This is a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to obtain industry’s feedback on the required products. Please answer all the following items when responding to this RFI.

Attachment 1: Market Research Questionnaire:

Please review and respond to the following questions regarding business size.

· Please indicate your business classification for NAICS code – 334516 ANALYTICAL LABORATORY INSTRUMENT MANUFACTURING, (Size Standard of 1,000 employees) below:

|_| Small Business |_| Other Than Small Business

· If your business classification is Small Business, do you anticipate remaining under the size standard for the next five years?

|_| Yes |_| No

· If your business classification is Small Business, do you qualify under any of the following certification programs and socio-economic categories?

|_| HUBZone |_| Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) |_| Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) |_| 8(a)

1. Please provide a capability statement outlining your company’s ability to provide the products to the specifications, including the MSHA approval numbers for the Escort Elf Pump (Battery Pack), Cyclone Assemblies, and Dust Filter Cassette Assembly.

2. Please provide any exceptions to the Buy American Act per the below paragraph from FAR Part 25.101:

(a) The Buy American statute restricts the purchase of supplies that are not domestic end products. For manufactured end products, the Buy American statute, E.O. 13881, and E.O. 14005 use a two-part test to define a domestic end product.

(1) The article must be manufactured in the United States; and

(2) (i) Except for an end product that consists wholly or predominantly of iron or steel or a combination of both, the cost of domestic components shall exceed 60 percent of the cost of all the components, except that the percentage will be 65 percent for items delivered in calendar years 2024 through 2028 and 75 percent for items delivered starting in calendar year 2029. But see paragraph (d) of this section. In accordance with 41 U.S.C. 1907, this domestic content test of the Buy American statute has been waived for acquisitions of COTS items (see 12.505(a)) (but see paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section).(ii) For an end product that consists wholly or predominantly of iron or steel or a combination of both, the cost of foreign iron and steel must constitute less than 5 percent of the cost of all the components used in the end product (see the definition of "foreign iron and steel" at 25.003). The cost of foreign iron and steel includes but is not limited to the cost of foreign iron or steel mill products (such as bar, billet, slab, wire, plate, or sheet), castings, or forgings utilized in the manufacture of the end product and a good faith estimate of the cost of all foreign iron or steel components excluding COTS fasteners. This domestic content test of the Buy American statute has not been waived for acquisitions of COTS items in this category, except for COTS fasteners.

(b) The Buy American statute applies to small business set-asides. A manufactured product of a small business concern is a U.S.-made end product, but is not a domestic end product unless it meets the domestic content test in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

2. Responses must be submitted in writing according to the requirements outlined in this document and received via e-mail by Rhonda Sizemore at sizemore.rhonda@dol.gov no later than 3:00 p.m. EST on Monday, August 7, 2023. Late responses may not be considered or evaluated.

VI. AGENCY POINT OF CONTACT

Rhonda Sizemore Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer Sizemore.Rhonda@dol.gov Office Phone: (304)256-3538

VII. OTHER INFORMATION

All interested and qualified businesses are encouraged to respond to this notice in accordance with the instructions found herein. Responding to this RFI does not guarantee an award of a contract nor does the Government guarantee that a solicitation will be issued as a result of the RFI. The Government does not intend to award a contract based on this request or to otherwise pay for the information submitted in response to this request. This request is issued only to locate vendors who currently provide or are interesting in becoming an approved supplier of the subject products. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted, or competition-sensitive information contained in their response.