PITTSBURGH, June 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE: MSA), the global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products that protect people and facility infrastructures, announced today that it has been recognized as on the region's healthiest employers by the Pittsburgh Business Times. MSA, employing more than 1,300 people in the Pittsburgh region, was recognized with the Healthiest Employers in Western Pennsylvania award for its commitment to creating a healthy workplace.
Instrumental in helping MSA earn this distinction was the company's Wellness program called MSAFit. Launched in 2003, the program provides MSA employees with opportunities to improve their health and wellness by encouraging a healthy lifestyle, providing health risk evaluations and making relevant educational materials available to address those risks.
Since launching the voluntary program, MSA has seen an 85 percent participation rate and a significant increase in health awareness and behavior. These results have led to a more than 65 percent reduction in absenteeism due to illness and injury and an 11 percent increase in health plan efficiency compared to similar manufacturing companies.
"At MSA, we have a commitment to our customers to make the world safer, one person at a time, and we know that promise would not be possible without our dedicated associates," said Paul Uhler, Vice President of Global Human Resources and Corporate Communications at MSA. "So, it's very important to us that we do all we can to ensure our associates can nurture their own health and wellbeing, so they can – in turn - take the best care of our customers."
MSA accepted the Healthiest Employers of Western Pennsylvania recognition at an awards luncheon held on Thursday, June 5 at the Omni William Penn Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. MSA was also profiled in a special supplement in the Pittsburgh Business Times on Friday, June 6, 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 industries, including the fire service, the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, construction, mining and utilities, as well as the military. Principal products include self-contained breathing apparatus, fixed gas and flame detection systems, handheld gas detection instruments, head protection products, fall protection devices and thermal imaging cameras. The company also provides a broad range of consumer and contractor safety products through a joint venture with MCR Safety. These products are marketed and sold under the Safety Works® brand. MSA, based north of Pittsburgh in Cranberry Township, Pa., has annual sales of approximately $1.1 billion, manufacturing operations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America, and 42 international locations. Additional information is available on the company's Web site at www.MSAsafety.com. Information on Safety Works products can be found at www.SafetyWorks.com.
SOURCE MSA
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