SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                            Washington, D.C.  20549

                                 SCHEDULE 13D

                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                        Mine Safety Appliances Company
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               (Name of Issuer)

                          Common Stock, no par value
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        (Title of Class of Securities)

                                  602720 10 4
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (CUSIP Number)

                           Nelson W. Winter, Esquire
                         Reed Smith Shaw & McClay LLP
                               435 Sixth Avenue
                        Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219
                                (412) 288-3310
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to
                      Receive Notices and Communications)

                                 June 27, 2000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)

If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Rule 13d-1(e), 13d-1(f) or 13d-1(g), check the following
box. [_]*

- -----------------
* The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be
  deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange
  Act of 1934 (the "Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that
  section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act.


CUSIP NO.    602720 10 4
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    1) Names of Reporting Persons, I.R.S. Identification Nos. of Above Persons
       (entities only)

              James E. Herald
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------


    2) Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions)
       (a)
           ---------------------------------------------------------------------

       (b)      X
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- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3) SEC Use Only
                    ------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    4) Source of Funds (See Instructions)    00
                                          --------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    5) Check if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings is Required Pursuant to Items
       2(d) or 2(e)
                    ------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    6) Citizenship or Place of Organization       U.S.A.
                                            ------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      (7)  Sole Voting Power             120,765
      Number of                              -----------------------------------
     Shares Bene-
      ficially        (8)  Shared Voting Power         1,125,000
      Owned by                                 ---------------------------------
     Each Report-
     ing Person       (9)  Sole Dispositive Power         46,251
        With                                      ------------------------------

                     (10)  Shared Dispositive Power    1,199,514
                                                    ----------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    11) Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person  1,245,765
                                                                     -----------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    12) Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares
        (See Instructions)
                           -----------------------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    13) Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11)     9.2%
                                                           ---------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    14) Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)     IN
                                                    ----------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                               Page 2 of 6 Pages


Item 1.  Security and Issuer.

     Common Stock, no par value (the "Common Stock"), of Mine Safety Appliances
Company (the "Company"), P.O. Box 426, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania  15230.

Item 2.  Identity and Background.

     (a)  Name of Person Filing:          James E. Herald

     (b)  Residence or Business Address:  Mine Safety Appliances Company
                                          P.O. Box 426
                                          Pittsburgh, PA  15230

     (c)  Present Principal Occupation: Vice President - Finance of the Company.

     (d)  During the last five years, the undersigned has not been convicted in
          a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar
          misdemeanors).

     (e)  During the last five years, the undersigned was not a party to a civil
          proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent
          jurisdiction as a result of which the undersigned was or is subject to
          a judgment, decree or final order enjoining future violations of, or
          prohibiting or mandating activities subject to, federal or state
          securities laws or finding any violation with respect to such laws.

     (f)  Citizenship: U.S.A.

Item 3.  Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration.

     The undersigned became a beneficial owner, as defined in Rule 13d-3, of
more than 5% of the Common Stock as a result of the purchase from the Company of
1,125,000 shares of Common Stock by the Trust for the Company's Non-Contributory
Pension Plan for Employees on June 27, 2000.  The purchase price of $24.00 per
share was paid to the Company from the assets of the Trust.

Item 4.  Purpose of Transaction.

     See Item 3.  The undersigned does not presently have any plans or proposals
which relate to or would result in:

     (a)  The acquisition by any person of additional securities of the Company
          or the disposition of securities of the Company;

     (b)  An extraordinary corporate transaction, such as a merger,
          reorganization or liquidation, involving the Company or any of its
          subsidiaries;

     (c)  A sale or transfer of a material amount of assets of the Company or
          any of its subsidiaries;

                               Page 3 of 6 Pages


     (d)  Any change in the present board of directors or management of the
          Company, including any plans or proposals to change the number or term
          of directors or to fill any existing vacancies on the board;

     (e)  Any material change in the present capitalization or dividend policy
          of the Company;

     (f)  Any other material change in the Company's business or corporate
          structure;

     (g)  Changes in the Company's charter, bylaws or instruments corresponding
          thereto or other actions which may impede the acquisition of control
          of the Company by any person;

     (h)  Causing a class of securities of the Company to be delisted from a
          national securities exchange or to cease to be authorized to be quoted
          in an inter-dealer quotation system of a registered national
          securities association;

     (i)  A class of equity securities of the Company becoming eligible for
          termination of registration pursuant to Section 12(g)(4) of the
          Securities Exchange Act of 1934; or

     (j)  Any action similar to any of those enumerated above.

Item 5.  Interest in Securities of the Issuer.

(a)  The undersigned beneficially owns (as defined in Rule 13d-3) 1,245,765
     shares of Common Stock, or approximately 9.2% of the outstanding shares
     based on the 13,552,409 shares of Common Stock outstanding at June 30,
     2000.

(b)  The undersigned has sole voting and dispositive power over 46,251 shares of
     Common Stock, including 28,035 shares which the undersigned has the right
     to acquire under stock options granted to him under the Company's
     Management Share Incentive Plans (MSIP).  Of such shares, 5,880 are
     restricted shares granted to the undersigned under the MSIP which are
     presently restricted as to disposition.

     Under the terms of the Company's Stock Compensation Trust, holders of stock
     options under Company plans, excluding members of the Board of Directors,
     have the right to direct the trustee, PNC Bank, N.A., re the voting and
     tendering of a number of shares of Common Stock determined by dividing the
     number of shares held by the Trust by the number of such optionees.  The
     undersigned currently has such rights with respect to 74,514 shares of
     Common Stock.

     As a member of the Investment Committee of the Trust for the Company's Non-
     Contributory Pension Plan for Employees, the undersigned shares voting and
     dispositive power over the 1,125,000 shares of Common Stock held by the
     Trust with the other members of the Investment Committee.  The following
     information with respect to the other members of the Investment Committee
     is to the best knowledge and belief of the undersigned:

     John T. Ryan III is a citizen of the United States of America.  His
     business address is Mine Safety Appliances Company, P.O. Box 426,
     Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230.  His present principal occupation is
     Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

                               Page 4 of 6 Pages


     Thomas B. Hotopp is a citizen of the United States of America.  His
     business address is Mine Safety Appliances Company, P.O. Box 426,
     Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230.  His present principal occupation is
     President of the Company.

     Dennis L. Zeitler is a citizen of the United States of America.  His
     business address is Mine Safety Appliances Company, P.O. Box 426,
     Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230.  His present principal occupation is Vice
     President and Treasurer of the Company.

     To the knowledge of the undersigned, none of the above persons has within
     the past five years (a) been convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding
     traffic violations or similar misdemeanors) or (b) been a party to a civil
     proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction
     as a result of which such person was or is subject to a judgment, decree or
     final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating
     activities subject to, federal or state securities laws or finding any
     violation with respect to such laws.

(c)  The undersigned became a beneficial owner, as defined in Rule 13d-3, of
     more than 5% of the Common Stock as a result of purchase of 1,125,000
     shares of Common Stock by the Trust for the Company's Non-Contributory
     Pension Plan for Employees on June 27, 2000.  There have been no
     transactions in Common Stock effected by the undersigned since at least 60
     days prior to that date.

(d)  Receipt of dividends or proceeds from the sale of the 1,125,000 shares of
     Common Stock held by the Trust for the Company's Non-Contributory Pension
     Plan for Employees is for the benefit of the beneficiaries of the Plan.  No
     beneficiary of the Plan presently has an interest in such dividends or
     proceeds amounting to more than 5% of the outstanding shares of Common
     Stock.  Under the terms of the Company's Stock Compensation Trust,
     dividends on the shares of Common Stock held by the Trust are used to repay
     the loan from the Company which financed the purchase of the shares.

(e)  Not applicable.

Item 6.  Contracts, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships
         with respect to Securities of the Issuer.

     The undersigned beneficially owns 1,125,000 shares of Common Stock as a
member of the Investment Committee of the Trust for the Company's Non-
Contributory Pension Plan for Employees.  The members of the Investment
Committee, who are identified in Item 5(b), have the power to vote and to
dispose of the Common Stock of the Company held by the Trust.  Such power may be
exercised by a majority vote of the members of the Committee.

Item 7.  Material to be filed as Exhibits.

     None.

                               Page 5 of 6 Pages


                                   SIGNATURE

     After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

                                                /s/ James E. Herald
                                             -----------------------------------
                                                    James E. Herald

Date: July 7, 2000

                               Page 6 of 6 Pages