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PITTSBURGH, June 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE: MSA) today announced that its breakthrough G1 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for firefighters has obtained European Norm 137 (EN137) approval, meaning the G1 SCBA complies with European safety, health and environmental protection requirements.  With the EN137 approval, MSA now has the green light to manufacture and sell its G1 SCBA in the EU, as well as most other European countries.  MSA expects to begin shipments of the EN-approved version of the G1 SCBA late in the fourth quarter.

Introduced in 2014, MSA's G1 SCBA is the most technologically advanced, streamlined, balanced, and customizable SCBA the company has ever produced.  With one patent issued and 13 patents pending, the all-new SCBA platform includes several revolutionary features, including the elimination of all electronic components from the facepiece; a "Central Power" feature that powers the entire unit from a single battery compartment; darkness- and smoke-piercing "buddy lights" that provide visible indicators of critical air supply data from any angle; and improved voice amplification communications, all of which come standard on every MSA G1 SCBA.

"The G1 SCBA represents an R&D investment of $40 million over a five year period," said William Lambert, MSA President, Chairman and CEO. "When we first embarked on the G1 initiative we envisioned developing a truly global product platform that was unlike any SCBA currently on the market. Securing European approval marks a very important step in making the G1 a truly global product, one that gives us the ability to provide firefighters around the world with the most advanced SCBA available."  In addition to being the lead SCBA standard across Europe, EN137 certification is the generally accepted SCBA performance requirement for several other markets, including Australia, Brazil, and Africa, and regions of Asia.

In November of last year, MSA's G1 SCBA received U.S. government approval from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and certification from the Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) as compliant to the 2013 Edition of the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) 1981 and 1982 performance standards. The NFPA 1981/1982 standards for fire service SCBA differ from EN137 in a variety of minor technical details and performance tests. A key difference between the U.S. and EU standards is that several product components and features mandatory for customers to obtain NFPA compliant SCBA are considered optional in the EN standard. One example of such a feature is the integrated "Heads-up-Display" (HUD) that shows remaining cylinder pressure in four easy to understand increments via colored LEDs.

MSA will unveil the G1 SCBA in Europe this week at Interschutz, an international fire and rescue exhibition held in Hannover, Germany.

Currently, the G1 SCBA is produced at the company's facility in Murrysville, Pa., near Pittsburgh, Pa. However, with the EN certification, MSA will begin to ramp up production in Berlin, Germany, primarily to serve the European and international markets outside of North America.

"Firefighters are the first ones to run into a burning building when everyone else is running out. Our goal is to provide these brave men and women with the most advanced safety equipment that helps protect them when their lives are on the line," Mr. Lambert concluded. 

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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SOURCE MSA