October 16, 2009

MSA Issues Stop Use Notice Redpoint (tm) and Auto-Belay Descenders Boulder, Colorado; October 15, 2009 MSA issued a stop use notice dated 10/14/2009 for certain products described below. MSA very recently became aware of two incidents where climbers using Redpoint Descenders experienced rapid rates of descent resulting in injuries. MSA's preliminary investigation indicates an issue with the one-way bearings provided by their supplier, which may prevent the brakes from engaging during descent. Due to the nature of this condition, the users were not able to detect the problem before the rapid descents occurred. The Stop Use Notice applies to the following descender units: All Redpoint Descenders (part numbers 10024873, 10027646, and 10027798) regardless of the date the unit was manufactured or last serviced, Auto-Belay Descenders (part number 10021806) manufactured or last serviced on or after June 30, 2000. The part number, date of manufacture, and date of last factory service of the unit is located on the white date of manufacture label affixed to the back of the housing. Based on these findings, MSA is advising affected users to discontinue using the Redpoint and Auto-Belay Descenders indicated above. Please forward this notice to all appropriate personnel. MSA regrets this inconvenience; however, the company recognizes that this condition represents a potential safety concern. MSA will issue a follow-up notice shortly, after conducting further investigation into this matter. During the investigation, MSA will not be shipping any Redpoint Descenders currently on order or in for service, and will not be taking any new orders. If you have any questions, please contact MSA Customer Service at 1-800-MSA-2222or 412-967-3000.