Press Release

PITTSBURGH, May 24, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- The Board of Directors of MSA (NYSE: MSA) has elected Douglas K. McClaine and Stephen C. Plut as Vice Presidents of the Company. In this new capacity, both Mr. McClaine and Mr. Plut will maintain their present responsibilities and reporting relationships as Secretary and General Counsel, and Chief Information Officer, respectively.

"These elections are well deserved and reflect the confidence the Board of Directors and I have in Doug and Steve's ability to lead the company in their respective areas," said John T. Ryan III, MSA Chairman and CEO. "Both of these men have contributed to MSA's success on many fronts. They are leaders in their respective fields and both are deserving of these newly announced promotions."

Mr. McClaine has served in MSA's Law Department for 21 years. Possessing a broad knowledge of the law and strong leadership skills, he established himself as an important contributor to MSA's management team. Most recently, Mr. McClaine played an integral role in managing the legal issues associated with MSA's transition from the American Stock Exchange to the New York Stock Exchange.

Mr. McClaine began his career with MSA in 1984 as Patent Attorney and then Senior Counsel. Before being named Secretary and General Counsel in 2002, he served as Associate General Counsel and Corporate Ethics Officer, where he created and implemented the company's corporate compliance program. Active in many community programs and Bar associations, he co-founded the Allegheny County Mock Trial Program for area high school students. He is also a trustee of the Butler Health System Foundation. Mr. McClaine received bachelors' degrees in mechanical engineering and administration and management science from Carnegie Mellon University. He earned a juris doctor from the Dickinson School of Law in 1984.

Under Mr. Plut's leadership as Chief Information Officer, MSA's IT department has been transformed into a world class practice. The successful completion of the 2004 SAP upgrade and the creation of a revolutionary "early warning" system, enabling MSA distribution partners to proactively take steps to ensure efficient and timely processing of customer orders, are two recent examples of Mr. Plut's IT leadership at MSA. Based on these accomplishments, Mr. Plut was recognized in February by IDG's Computerworld as one of the business world's Premier 100 IT Leaders.

Before joining the Company in 1998, Mr. Plut led the IT Transformation Services Group at Deloitte and Touche Consulting Group/ICS. He received a bachelor's degree in human resources from Geneva College.

Established in 1914, MSA is a global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of sophisticated safety products that protect people's health and safety. Sophisticated safety products typically integrate any 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 the fire service, homeland security, construction and other industries, as well as the military. Principal products include self-contained breathing apparatus, gas masks, gas detection instruments, head protection, respirators and thermal imaging cameras. The company also provides a broad range of consumer and contractor safety products through retail channels. These products are marketed and sold under the MSA Safety Works brand. MSA has annual sales of more than $850 million, manufacturing operations throughout the United States and Europe, and more than 30 international locations. Additional information is available on the company's Web site at www.msanet.com .

SOURCE MSA (Mine Safety Appliances Company)

Mark Deasy of MSA, +1-412-967-3357

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