#TailgateSafetyTalks Gets Workers Talking Safety Tips in the Field

News provided by

Oct 14, 2016, 03:10 ET

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's fast-paced, get-it-done-yesterday workplace, global leader MSA Safety (NYSE: MSA) is encouraging workers to pause at the start of their day and spend a couple of minutes talking about one thing: safety. Earlier this month, MSA launched #TailgateSafetyTalks, an initiative that encourages worksite operators to lead safety-focused discussions at the beginning of each shift, ensuring workplace safety is top of mind for every person on the jobsite.

"Education, training and awareness play a critical role in keeping people safe and ensuring they go home at the end of the work day," said Rebecca Trimpey, MSA Global Training Manager. "Our #TailgateSafetyTalks campaign is a simple way to remind workers to pay close attention to their behaviors, including checking safety products before each use, engaging in behavior-based safety (BBS) practices, and discussing how they can be even safer moving forward."

To encourage this practice, MSA has added a charitable tie-in to the program. For every safety tip workers share on Facebook using #TailgateSafetyTalks, those individuals will qualify for a chance to have MSA make a $250 charitable donation in their name. Winners will be drawn at random every Monday in October.

"In order to improve workplace safety and eradicate on-the-job injuries, product training and consistent, ongoing education is crucial," Ms. Trimpey continued. "Our #TailgateSafetyTalks campaign, an idea sparked by our sales associates, represents just one element of a larger focus that ensures our customers truly know how to properly test and use their equipment."

In addition to the #TailgateSafetyTalks campaign, MSA last year opened a new state-of-the-art safety training facility near Pittsburgh, Pa., to educate industrial workers, construction contractors, utility workers, and firefighters on how to properly select, inspect and use personal protective equipment (PPE) in an application-based atmosphere.

The three-story indoor training complex, located steps away from the company's global headquarters in Cranberry Township, Pa., is packed with a complex rig of ladders, platforms, manholes and escape windows, which allows MSA to simulate true-to-life worker safety scenarios. For off-site customers, MSA offers more than 150 online training programs relevant to MSA's innovative products and general industry safety standards via MSA-U.

Customers, safety experts and the public can explore MSA's new product solutions and latest technological advancements, and speak with the company's team of safety specialists, at this year's National Safety Council (NSC) Congress and Expo, held October 15 – 21 in Anaheim, Ca.

Among the products to be showcased are the ALTAIR 5X Multigas Detector with photoionization detector (PID), an instrument that can detect up to six (6) gases simultaneously; the Latchways Mini Personal Fall Limiter, now available with tieback capabilities; and the revolutionary G1 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). The ALTAIR 5X Multigas Detector and the Latchways Mini Personal Fall Limiter were both named Readers' and Attendees Choice Award winners by Industrial Safety and Hygiene News.

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 product line 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. MSA's core products include self-contained breathing apparatus, fixed gas and flame detection systems, portable gas detection instruments, industrial head protection products, fire and rescue helmets, and fall protection devices. With 2015 revenues of $1.1 billion, MSA employs approximately 4,600 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 web site at www.MSAsafety.com.

SOURCE MSA