Underground mines are unforgiving and unpredictable workplaces that, through accidents or acts of nature, can and still do claim lives of the miners who work in them.

However thanks to the ingenuity of two WA blokes 20 years ago more than 40,000 miners across the globe have a better chance at returning home to their families in the event of a toxic gas outburst, rock fall or fire.

Geoff Whittaker and Gerald Ness started their mine refuge chamber manufacturing business Minearc Systems in 1999 after seeing glaring deficiencies in the 'safe havens' miners were expected to run to in an emergency.

Mine Arc refuge chamber

Those havens amounted to nothing more than a sea container that had no cooling, no gas detection and no protection.