production worker

senior assembler

production technician

customer service representative

line assembler

MSA Safety

I have worked at MSA for a long time now in different departments, and can safely say that I am the unhappiest I have ever been. 

The current CEO is acting with no professionalism or care for the current employees. Most of us accepted jobs under a fully remote or majority hybrid schedule. We had a record high year and the year following was equally as great under these working conditions. However, this company has an issue with accountability. Managers and executive leadership don't know how to hold teams and people accountable. Instead of implementing new trainings or better requirements, our CEO has determined that we are to return to office with no hybrid flexibility, and I might add, is acting with very little professionalism on the topic.

The current economic times have caused financial stress professionally and personally and our CEO has determined the best way to handle it is to make everyone return to the office, where there is not enough space. So we are investing in renovations, desks, parking, monitors, chairs, etc. Instead of just continuing to promote a healthy work life balance that encourages a more productive workplace. 

MSA has become toxic work environment. The emphasis on cost savings has gotten out of control. As mentioned above, there is no accountability. Favoritism is present. Harsh percentages are implemented on the production floor. Work/life balance has been tossed out the window. There is no focus on retention and it actually feels like the opposite where they are trying to force certain people out. It's just become a dreary grey clouded place to work. There was a time I would have recommended it, but not anymore.

Mine Safety Appliances is a company that cares about the safety and welfare of their employees. They offer a clean, safe working environment with excellent compensation and benefits
.
Typically, one working on the factory floor, would be working as a member of a Demand Flow Technology (DFT) team. This work would involve assembling parts at a given workstation, then passing the part along to a person at the next station, with the part continuing down the line until it is fully assembled and tested, at which point, the part would be packed into bins for use inside the factory or in cartons and labeled for shipment to customers/distributors.

During my time with MSA, I learned the importance of working as a team member, yet, knowing how to be self-motivated and work independently when the job required my doing so. I learned the importance of producing a high quality product, that our customers could depend on to perform as promised, and doing so in a timely manner. I learned to prioritize projects. Mostly, I learned that MSA values integrity, above all else, as being important both within and outside of the workplace.

The hardest part of the job for me was the physical requirement of standing for 8 or more hours per day.

 The most enjoyable part of the job was forming bonds with my co-workers, support staff and managerial team members. Also, the feeling of satisfaction of a job well done, knowing that I produced a life-saving product, that a first responder would be able to feel confident wearing... with the knowledge that his life may be dependent upon the functionality of that product.

Technically speaking I was Temp but I worked for MSA. I was there almost a YEAR without them trying to hire me on. They laid 3rd shift off without any notice and I got lucky enough to be called back (still as a temp) to first shift. I was paid $10.80 for a job that once hired on should bump you to $16-$17 an hour. They overwork EVERYONE there whether you’re APR or Production. A Monday-Friday schedule and usually Saturdays because for some odd reason they are always behind. Machines constantly break down and half the employees are rude to one another. It cost ME losing hours when I had NOTHING to do with what happened since they were a bit slower than normal, an argument to get back at one another ended up with me being sent home early because they were holding Delivery Notes and wanted to get back at my coworker by flooding her with work once I was sent home. Ridiculous. I have bills. Management is terrible half the time, they don’t care about the employees (make big money and get to have a life outside the mess they call a company) the two Team Leads/managers I’ve had personally were AMAZING. They stuck up for me and helped me when I needed to take days off due to some personal stuff. They were the few good things about MSA. Third Shift was definitely the best shift. We had a huge family atmosphere and even though a lot of us were laid off the first time we all still get together. 

Your job is to sit(or stand in one spot) and sew(or inspect or mark fabric with a pencil), the same thing, over and over all day. If you're into repetitive tasks and mindless work, might be the job for you! If you also love forced overtime, constant rule changes that make no sense because they are not communicated to anyone until days before they're implemented too, then you might like it here... There is no communication and they can't keep new hires for more than a few months because of this and they don't seem to realize it. No appreciation, or compensation initiatives for their workers during a pandemic. The managers don't know your name, they walk into the factory floor, look around at everything, an go back into the office. I'm not sure what they even do other than stare off into space all day, talk about changing literally every process we have and then blame us when stuff isn't getting out on time,  and they make bank doing it.  The morale in that factory is straight up depressing. 0/10 do not recommend. 

MSA is the place where all employees are equal, but some are more equal than others.

You'll see lots of employees coming in late and leaving early because some are allowed the work life balance, but the grunts in the factory and customer service are shackled to their desks with no flexibility even though their managers are always on smoke breaks or just MIA.  They want you to attend mixers, groups events, meanwhile these are the same people that aren't working full days and cannot add anything meaningful to the bottom line.  It's like high school but in a corporate environment.

They do not promote from within, they'd rather bring in untrained people from the outside or hold a specific position for someone regardless of training/experience.  It's a new spin on the old boys club, but now includes women.

Most employees work less than 8 hours a day, except in customer service, the factory and a few other departments.

Stay away unless you can get a cushy job, this place is nepotism at it's finest.

The pay is decent and you do get a a decent amount of vacation days to start. They never actually fix or replace equipment. They just have maintenance bandaid it and tell you to keep going until it breaks down again. Day shift and nights are vastly different. Never get support on nights. Management is running that place into the ground. They will take whatever shortcuts needed to get the numbers they want pushed out. They focus only on how much $ they make and not the quality. They seem to forget who we make this equipment for. The work isn’t hard once you’re trained. Problem is it depends on who trains you. Because they will try to get you pushed through your certifications as fast as possible to get your pay raise. Unfortunately those people don’t fully know the job and don’t question things when management tries to get you to make something when you shouldn’t. Which I think is what they want. Just a bunch of people there for a paycheck who don’t care about what they are making. Also, they try to get people to do things above their pay grade to save money. Glad I left, alot happier

A typical day of work will be standing in one spot assembling parts until a machine jams up or requires maintenance, which is often.  Sometimes I would be sent home without working because my line was down when I came in.  It was nice for awhile, and the pay was good at first.  

However, the company relies excessively on temporary workers.  You have no benefits or PTO as a temp, and we have been laid off with less than 24 hour notice multiple times within a few months.  Incredibly insulting, and infuriating considering their most repeated interview question was "Did you give 2 weeks notice before leaving this job."

Because they liked me, and the supervisors vouched for me, I was kept on and moved to another shift....with a 18% pay cut.  Not even one week after lay-offs, they increased my hours to a mandatory 58 per week. 

In short, stay away from this company unless you plan on applying for an office job, and never work for them as a temporary employee.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Easy work anyone can do it 
Any temp w no experience or not seeing work in advance can do the operations 
A very specific demographic works there and is contributing to employ the same. 
Plus any slight disability you might have guarantees you a job there plus if you’re willing to work 2nd or third shift which normally no one wants to work your in

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
There production rates are set high on purpose so you don’t have any time 
Talking going to restroom etc 
Super visors arrogantly show favoritism to certain employees 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Seniority breeds complacency there 
If you don’t have a degree your comments 
Are insulted on all management levels

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Jumping around to a lot of jobs showing 
Senior employees how to do new operations 
Watching others burn there hands on the soldering irons from falling asleep and the smell of flesh burning

10% of the workforce does 90% of the workload. In maintenance you are expected to be proficient with all of the machines in the production area without any formal training. Leadership is a joke in the department. Management is a confusing mess with having department sup's leading maintenance initiatives while also having a general manager who knows nothing about anything. Chain of command is confusing not knowing who to bring issues to. Lower level management like production group leaders and line leaders who are all many pay scales below you are able to influence your fate at the company if they do not like you by "reporting" to your managers what they supposedly see you doing or not doing.  Lots of favoritism and nepotism going on throughout the plant as well as inappropriate manager/subordinate "relations".  


The company used to be a nice family oriented company to wok for but now not so much anymore.  It doesn't look out for its employees, only push to get product out the door without regard of how it gets there.  Also, favoritism given to certain groups of people.  No regard to the right training and then when they are not satisfied with your production results they push you out the door, doesn't matter how dedicated an employee you are or how long you have been there.  Pay is very good but not an enjoyable environment.  I used to take pride in saying i worked there but it was really hard to say that when I left.  Also, seem to be trying to give a lot more work to employees with less help.  So everyone is overworked.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Production worker 70 salaries reported	$18.36 per hour
Senior assembler 28 salaries reported	$17.09 per hour
Production technician 10 salaries reported	$23.50 per hour
Customer service representative 20 salaries reported	$22.30 per hour
Line assembler 19 salaries reported	$24.95 per hour

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