Press Release

Fastest Growing Consumer Safety Line Expands Retail Distribution

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MSA Safety Works, the consumer products arm of MSA, (NYSE: MSA), announced today that True Value will offer the MSA Safety Works line of consumer safety products at 6,200 dealer locations throughout North America. Initial product availability is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2004.

"Adding the highly recognized True Value brand to our list of retail providers is a great achievement for MSA Safety Works," said Harry Kunze, Business Director, MSA Safety Works. "It will provide 'do-it-yourself' consumers with greater access to products that can help them in every aspect of home improvement projects. This opportunity will also allow our consumer safety brand to expand into additional big cities and small towns alike, which nicely compliments our existing relationship with True Value in the areas of rental and maintenance repair operations (MRO)."

True Value has been the leader in the hardware industry since 1948. Its broad product selection and unique departments -- Commercial Sales, Grill Zone, Rental, Paint Shop, Gardens and Tool Shop -- combined with excellent customer service, provide an ideal platform for MSA Safety Works products and promotions.

Making the World Safer, One Project At A Time(R), the brand slogan of the MSA Safety Works, illustrates the brand's mission to protect consumers who aren't readily aware of the dangers associated with many home improvement projects. "Our consumer safety program is designed to motivate and educate consumers by giving them practical and protective solutions," Kunze said. "Our straightforward approach to safety enables the consumer to come face-to-face with the many options available to them."

Included among the equipment that will be made available through True Value are products for first aid, eye protection, head protection, hearing protection and respiratory protection. MSA Safety Works products outperform other retail safety products, exceed government requirements and are easy to use. Each product is user-friendly to meet the demands of convenient product storage and speedy selection through reclosable and color-coded packaging.

Established in 1914, MSA is a global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of sophisticated products that protect people's health and safety. The company has annual sales of more than $700 million, manufacturing operations throughout the United States and Europe and 28 international affiliates. MSA'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. These products include self-contained breathing apparatus, gas masks, gas detection instruments, head protection, respirators and thermal imaging cameras.

The company also provides a broad offering of consumer and contractor safety products, which are available through select home center retail outlets under the MSA Safety Works brand. More information about MSA is available on the company's Web site at http://www.msanet.com , or visit http://www.msasafetyworks.com for additional information on consumer products.

SOURCE  Mine Safety Appliances Company
    -0-                             08/30/2004
    /CONTACT:  Mark Deasy of Mine Safety Appliances Company, +1-412-967-3357/
    /Web site:  http://www.msanet.com
                http://www.msasafetyworks.com /
    (MSA)

CO:  Mine Safety Appliances Company; True Value
ST:  Pennsylvania
IN:  HEA ENV
SU:

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7786 08/30/2004 10:23 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com