Mine Safety Appliances Company develops, manufactures, and supplies products that protect people's health and safety worldwide. Its safety products integrate a combination of electronics, mechanical systems, and materials to protect users against hazardous or life threatening situations in the oil and gas, fire service, mining, construction, and other industries, as well as in the military. The company offers respiratory protection products, including self contained breathing apparatus, and air-purifying and escape respirators to protect against the harmful effects of contamination caused by dust, gases, fumes, volatile chemicals, sprays, micro-organisms, fibers, and other contaminants; and portable and fixed gas detection instruments comprising single-and multi-gas hand-held detectors, multi-point permanently installed gas detection systems, and flame detectors and open-path infrared gas detectors to detect the presence or absence of various gases in the air. It also provides thermal imaging cameras for the fire service market to detect sources of heat in order to locate downed firefighters and other people trapped inside burning or smoke-filled structures; and head, eye, face, and hearing protection products comprising industrial hard hats, fire helmets, ballistic helmets, hearing protection products, non-prescription protective eyewear, and face shields for work environments where hazards present dangers, such as dust, flying particles, metal fragments, chemicals, extreme glare, and optical radiation. In addition, it offers fall protection equipment, such as confined space equipment, harnesses, fall arrest equipment, lanyards, and lifelines for construction and plant workers, and people working at height; and consumer and contractor safety products. The company serves industrial and military end-users, distributors, and retail consumers. Mine Safety Appliances Company was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.