MSA
V-Gard Helmet (1962)Founded in 1914 by John Ryan and George Deike as Mine Safety Appliances, MSA was originally a manufacturer of safety appliances for the mining industry. Today, the company has evolved to be known as MSA: The Safety Company, a producer of products and systems to protect people and property. MSA’s first order of business was to enlist Thomas Edison, who helped create the electric cap lamp which, over the next 25 years, reduced mine explosions by an astounding 75 percent. Equally well-known is their ‘Chemox’, an oxygen breathing apparatus primarily designed for use in mines and modified for use on Mt. Everest in 1952 and 1986.
Another great design is the V-Gard Helmet (1962), the first hardhat made from polycarbonate, an extremely durable plastic that is very difficult to crack or break. This iconic helmet, with its distinctive trademark V on the top of the helmet, is a world recognized design. MSA has has sold well over 100 million V-Gard Helmets since its introduction.
Care has been taken to trace the ownership of any copyright material and to contact the owner. The author does not intend to infringe on anyone’s copyright for text, photos or otherwise. Anyone who feels that any item in these pages may have inadvertently breached their copyright should advise the author via the contact sheet, including a link to the page, so that appropriate remedial action can be taken.
