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PITTSBURGH, Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE: MSA), the global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products that protect people's health and safety, has been awarded two New Product-of-the-Year awards by Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) magazine. 

The MSA product innovations recognized by OH&S were the Fas-Trac^® III Suspension for MSA's market-leading line of protective helmets, and the ALTAIR^® 2XP Gas Detector , which incorporates breakthrough technology to simplify and expedite instrument testing.  The two MSA products were recognized at the recent National Safety Council Congress & Expo, held last month in San Diego, Calif.

"We are very honored to have Occupational Health and Safety recognize MSA's commitment to innovation with two Product-of-the-Year awards," said William M. Lambert, MSA President and CEO.  "This recognition is particularly gratifying for us because it comes in the year of our centennial anniversary, demonstrating that the spirit of innovation on which MSA was founded in 1914 is very much alive and well," he said.

The Fas-Trac III Suspension, designed with input from hundreds of hard hat users, provides an alternative to poorly-fitting hard hat suspensions and features a design that helps to eliminate pressure points and greatly reduce the potential for compression headaches.

The helmet suspension also features a new nape strap that increases comfort and helps keep the helmet securely on the user's head.  Additionally, an adjustable ratchet rotates smoothly and precisely for a perfect fit, while a comfort pad contours to the back of the head, improving airflow and preventing hair pulling.

The Fas-Trac III Suspension also features rear lug attachments that are nearly flush with the headband, eliminating pressure points and greatly reducing the potential for compression headaches. 

The second MSA product recognized by OH&S – the ALTAIR 2XP Detector – is a revolutionary handheld gas detector that incorporates pulse technology to simplify the process associated with performing a daily "bump" test to ensure instrument accuracy and reliability.

Typically, a "bump" test is performed at the start of each day for every gas detector in use at a facility.  This functional test is often performed by a qualified technician at a repair and maintenance facility, and requires expensive calibration gas to complete this go or no-go test.

MSA's Pulse Technology eliminates this need because it allows the user to conduct his or her own test, in less than a minute, using nothing but exhaled air and the push of a button.  The sophisticated technology embedded within the ALTAIR 2XP does the rest.

"The ALTAIR 2XP Detector is a good example of how MSA is helping customers increase safety and productivity, while dramatically lowering their total cost of ownership," Mr. Lambert said. 

"In the case of the ALTAIR 2XP, when you consider the thousands of instruments used by thousands of workers inside a refinery or other industrial complex, the cost and time savings can be substantial.  I think this benefit was certainly a factor in the ALTAIR 2XP being selected as a new product of the year by OH&S ," he said.

Mr. Lambert added that developing innovative products that help protect workers has been the focus of MSA's business for an entire century, since the company's founders first collaborated with Thomas Edison to develop the first electric cap lamp for miners.  "Today that mission continues," Mr. Lambert said.  "We carefully listen to the needs of our customers, and constantly strive to address those needs with products that combine the optimum levels of performance, comfort and simplicity, all while maintaining the highest standards of product quality and integrity."

This year, the prestigious OH&S recognition program attracted more than 60 candidate products in 22 categories, with an independent panel of judges choosing the winners.

"Year six of our New Product of the Year program once again demonstrated the level of innovation that exists among the many manufacturers who compete in the fast-growing global safety and health marketplace," said OH&S editor Jerry Laws.  "Informing our readers and online audience about the best new products across the spectrum of safety and health has always been part of our magazine's mission, and this recognition program has elevated that mission to an exciting new level."

Award judges this year included Linda J. Sherrard, MS, CSP, Safety Consultant II for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (Raleigh, N.C.), and former technical editor of OH&S ; Frank McDaniel, Safety Director at Helix Electric (San Diego, Calif.); and Leo DeBobes, MA, CSP, Assistant Administrator for Emergency Management and Regulatory Compliance at Stony Brook University Medicine, as well as an OH&S  advisory board member.

To be eligible for the 2014 awards, products must have been introduced to the market between July 5, 2013, and July 4, 2014.

About MSA
Established in 1914, MSA Safety Incorporated is the global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products that protect people and facility infrastructures. Many MSA products integrate a combination of electronics, mechanical systems and advanced materials to protect users against hazardous or life ‐ threatening situations. The company's comprehensive line of products is used by workers around the world in a broad range of markets, including the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, the fire service, the construction industry, mining, and the military. The company's core products include self ‐ contained breathing apparatus, fixed gas and flame detection systems, portable gas detection instruments, head protection products and fall protection devices. With 2013 revenues of $1.1 billion, MSA employs approximately 5,300 people worldwide. The company is headquartered north of Pittsburgh in Cranberry Township, Pa., and has manufacturing operations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. With more than 40 international locations, MSA realizes approximately half of its revenue from outside North America. For more information, visit MSA's website at www.MSAsafety.com.

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