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Chemical Technology •May 2016
L
ast year the company celebrated its 75th anniversary,
the South African branch being the second oldest,
next to the head office in Pittsburgh, USA, which
celebrated its centenary last year. Presently R&D takes
place in the Ryan Laboratory in Pitttsburgh, the laboratory
named after John T Ryan, the founder of the company.
Existing products are constantly being improved and in-
novated, which, Oliver told us, is the main reason MSA
safety products are regarded as the most reputable and
reliable brand available, both in this country and further
afield, in Nigeria and Ghana, as well as in newer, expand-
ing markets such as Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania.
The mainstay of MSA in South Africa is the Oil, Gas and
Petroleum (OGP) sector, which, Oliver said, makes up 40
– 50 % of the company’s total business. Together with the
mining sector, they make up 70 – 80 % of the total. The
rest of the business is in utilities and general industries.
Range of products
Oliver explained that the safety and fire and emergency
markets have, together, a large footprint in sub-Saharan
Africa. Overall, the top-ranking product is the range of self-
contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or devices such
as the G1 SCBA which offers integrated and enhanced
solutions such as built-in telemetry devices, monitors to
measure air capacity, built-in communication units and
flashing alarms. Rechargeable batteries are now available
for the central power systems which run all the electronics.
No matter which button is pressed on the control module
of the device, necessary information displays. Recent in-
novations mean that the G1 SCBA provides more data and
functionality than ever before and the heads up display
provides clear and easy to understand/interpret informa-
tion. Furthermore, it has integrated technology such as
Bluetooth, RFID, Near Field Communication (NFC), and
long-range radio, for future expansion.
The
MSA AirXpress 2 Fire is a new, economical SCBA with
customisable configurations, allowing usage in different
first responder applications and as such is ideally-suited to
firefighting, rescue operations, escape scenarios, confined
space entry and for ‘search and rescue’ missions.
The unit has amodern design and features an ergonomic
back plate, designed for unrestricted movement, while the
chest strap prevents any slipping of the shoulder harness.
The carrier is made with glass fibre-reinforced polyamide
to withstand high heat and flames. It boasts an optional
manual bypass function which increases the airflow in
extreme environments.
Other popular products
Fall protection equipment, such as full body harnesses, self-
retracting devices and energy-absorbing lanyards, confined
MSA – Harnessing
new technologies to
produce exceptional
protective equipment
‘ChemTech’ recently paid a visit to the
offices of MSA The Safety Company
and spoke to Colin Oliver, director
Sub-Saharan Africa region, about the
company’s role and contribution to the
safety market in South Africa and other
African countries.