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 that have received NIOSH certification and MSHA approval through its Approval & Certification Center located in Triadelphia, West Virginia.    

II.  BACKGROUND

Respirable Dust Filter Cassettes, in conjunction with a dust personal sampling units, are used by Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) personnel to determine if the concentration of respirable silica mine dust or  respirable coal mine dust are being effectively controlled.  Exposure to silica mine dust may lead to the development of silicosis, a long-term lung disease.  MSHA inspectors monitor the working environment of the metal and nonmetal mines in order to determine if the concentration of respirable mine dust is effectively controlled by the measures utilized by the mine operator.  Exposure to respirable coals mine dust may lead to the development of Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis (CWP) and/or Silicosis.  These diseases are commonly referred to as “black lung” disease.  MSHA’s regulations establish exposure level standards that are designed to reduce the incidence of disease if miners’ exposures are maintained at or below the established standard.  MSHA inspectors monitor the working environment of the coal mines in order to determine if the concentration of restorable coal mine dust is effectively controlled by the measures utilized by the mine operator.  The only available means to accomplish the task of monitoring this harsh environment is through the use of an approved monitoring system available for such use as required by 30 CFR parts 70, 71, and 90.  30 CFR part 74 (http://www.msha.gov/30cfr/74.4.htm) requires the pump that is used to have NIOSH certification for coal mine dust sampling.  Any equipment used in underground mines must also be certified by MSHA as intrinsic safe.  Presently MSHA uses the Zefon Escort ELF pump for monitoring dust levels in underground mines.  The Zefon pump has both MSHA and NIOSH certifications.  Two cassettes are needed since the Zefon Escort ELF pump is being operated at two different flow rates.  MSHA’s Coal Division uses filter part number 803463, while MSHA’s Metal and Nonmetal Division uses part number 10011208. 

IIi. OBJECTIVE

The objective of this procurement is to obtain the services of a vendor who can provide NIOSH certified and MSHA approved respirable dust cassettes. 

IV. PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS and DELIVERY INFORMATION:

Zefon Dust Filter Cassette Assembly Part # 803463 and 10011208 (or equivalent)

• Must be manufactured in accordance to 30 CFR Part 74 specifications
• Must be MSHA and NIOSH approved for use as part of respirable dust personal sampling units

Filter Cassette

• Must contain enclosed filter capsule to prevent contamination, leakage and inadvertent or intentional tampering with dust deposited on the filter
• Must be constructed so as to prevent a loss of gain in capsule weight during cassette assembly or disassembly
• Must be sealed around the diameter with heat shrink tape
• Must be constructed to prevent contaminants from entering the cassette or dust leaving while not in use.
• Anti-tampering mechanisms should be integrated into the cassette to prevent reversal of airflow through the capsule, insertion of foreign objects through the outlet or other means of removing dust collected on the filter.
• The dust cassette should measure 1 5/8” in diameter, and 29/32” in height (without closure plugs) with a red outer band for cassettes to be used in MNM mines and green outer band for cassettes to be used in coal mines.
• Inlet and outlet openings should be sized to mate correctly with other components of the CMDPSU; specifically the 456243 Dorr-Oliver Cyclone. – MNM dust personal sampling units; specifically use any Dorr-Oliver Cyclone.

Filter Capsule

• Should not permit sample air to leak around the filter
• Should prevent visual inspection of the filter surface and filter loading.
• Capsule should be composed of a non-hydroscopic material in the shape of a frustum
• Base diameter cannot exceed 39 mm and height cannot exceed 4mm
• The top of the frustum cannot be less than 12 mm in diameter and is the site of the sample inlet port.
• Filter media supports are sealed to the base of the assembly and must have the cassette number and barcode facing outward for coal cassettes.  For MNM, filter media supports are also sealed to the base of the assembly with the barcode facing outward, but must have a six digit cassette numbering sequence.
• The walls of the frustum are constructed of aluminum foil to expedite recovery of the sample filters for silica analysis
• The weight, including the enclosed filter cannot exceed 5 grams and must be pre-weighted with a precision of +/-  0.001 milligrams
• The capsule must be constructed in a way that impact to the capsule will not dislodge any dust from the capsule, which might be lost in weight measurement

Filter

• The filter membrane must be a 5.0 micron, 37mm diameter, non-hydroscopic polyvinyl chloride formulation.
• The filter membrane’s resistance to airflow cannot exceed more than 2 inches of water at an airflow rate of 2 liters per minute.
• The filter cannot dissolve or decompose when immersed in ethyl or isopropyl alcohol.
• The surface of the membrane must be such that the dust deposited on the surface can be removed by ultrasonic methods without tearing the filter.

Packaging

• 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, 

Delivery will be to various locations throughout the United States. 

V. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. The following information is to be provided in response to this Request for Information:

a. Vendor's name
b. Vendor's address
c. Point of contact name, telephone number, and e-mail address
d. DUNS number
e. Identification of business size (small business, small disadvantaged, Small Woman-Owned Business, Small Veteran-Owned Business, Small Disabiled Veteran-Owned Business, Small/Disadvantaged Business SBA 8(a) Program, HUB-Zone small business);

f. Identification of any Best-In-Class vehicle that the product is available through (GSA, etc.);
g. Capability to provide the product to the specifications

h. Any exceptions to the Buy American Act (see below paragraph)

The Buy American Act is applicable to this requirement.  FAR Part 25.101 requires agencies to acquire only domestic end products for public use inside the United States.  Domestic end products are: (1) an unmanufactured end product mined or produced in the United States OR (2) an end product manufactured in the United States AND the cost of components mined, produced or manufactured in the United States exceeds 50 percent of the costs of all components, FAR 25.101. However, if the product is manufactured in the United States and is a COTS item (commercially available off-the-shelf), then the component test is waived and the product is deemed to be a domestic end product, FAR 12.505(a).  There are certain exceptions under which a contracting officer may purchase a non-domestic end product.  See FAR Parts 25.103 and 25.202 to understand exceptions.

2. Responses must be submitted in writing according to the requirements outlined in this document and received via e-mail by Rhonda Sizemore at [email protected] no later than 3:00 p.m. EST on Monday, December 28, 2020. Late responses may not be considered or evaluated.

VI. AGENCY POINT OF CONTACT

Rhonda Sizemore
Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer
1301 Airport Road
Beaver, West Virginia 25813
[email protected]
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 interesting in becoming an approved supplier of the subject product. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted, or competition-sensitive information contained in their response.