FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MSA Acquires U.S. Military Gas MaskContract

PITTSBURGH, July 7, 2004 – MSA (AMEX: MSA), the world's leading manufacturer of safety equipment, today announced it has successfully negotiated a multiple-year contract to supply U.S. Air Force and Navy personnel with the MCU-2/P chemical/biological gas mask.

MSA is being awarded a $42,017,698 indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to provide for chemical/biological gas mask kits in support of Navy and Air Force personnel. At this time, $8,395,960 of the funds have been obligated. MSA reports that this work will be complete by October of 2005. Solicitation began in March of 2004 and negotiations were completed in June of 2004.

MSA has been designing and manufacturing gas masks for the U.S. Military since World War I, when they started with a basic mask that filtered out toxic gases and carbon monoxide. William M. Lambert, President, MSA North America, stated "MSA is proud to continue its tradition of providing protection to America's sons and daughters who stand, every day, in harms way."

 More information about MSA is available on the company's Web site at www.msanet.com.