Howard Leight(r) Matrix(tm) Earplugs Win Compliance Magazine Commitment to Worker Safety Award

— Prestigious award recognizes innovation, impact on safety and ease of use

— Award ceremony to be held at National Safety Council Congress & Expo

Smithfield, RI — Howard Leight’s advanced Matrix(tm) no-roll earplugs have been recognized for their innovative design and contribution to worker safety by winning the prestigious Compliance Magazine Commitment to Worker Safety Award in the category of Hearing Protection. The award, which is judged by an independent panel of industry experts, will be presented in a special ceremony on September 13, 2004, at the National Safety Council Congress & Expo in New Orleans.

Introduced last year, and the subject of much media attention, Matrix earplugs have taken a new approach to the standard cylinder earplug. Combining advanced materials with an entirely new design concept, Matrix is the only single-use earplug in the world that blocks noise and lets voices be heard. An important advance in hearing protection technology, Matrix offers enhanced communication, safety and comfort during long-term worker wear.

Matrix incorporates a no-roll design that facilitates insertion and provides instant protection. Its small diameter makes Matrix especially suited for female and other workers with small ear canals, and its foam construction generates less pressure inside the ear canal, eliminating that “plugged up” feeling. Matrix’s smooth outer skin is a perfect match for the sensitive skin inside the ear canal and multiple attenuation levels of 29, 27, and 23 NRR allow users to target protection levels based on their environments.

“We are delighted that Matrix has been recognized with this prestigious award,” said Bill Sokol, VP Strategic Marketing for Bilsom parent company, Bacou-Dalloz(tm). “Matrix earplugs are a quantum leap in single-use cylinder earplugs. They offer a better overall wearing experience than any other cylinder shaped earplug, and are especially well suited for applications that require constant wear and/or communication between employees.”

Compliance Magazine is a leading trade publication covering the safety industry which reaches more than 72,000 readers with its monthly print edition, and approximately 30,000 readers weekly with its Email Report. This year’s Commitment to Worker Safety Award panel of experts included Michael O’Toole, Ph.D., Professor of Safety at Purdue University Calumet; Edmund Dorner, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Safety at Illinois State University; and Eugene Satrun, CIH, CSP, Industrial Hygienist for ExxonMobil Corp. This is the sixth annual Compliance Magazine Commitment to Worker Safety Award competition.

Since its beginnings as a one-man operation more than 30 years ago, Howard Leight Industries has grown into one of the largest manufacturers of in-ear hearing protection in the industrial market and is widely recognized as an innovator in protection and fit. Since 2001 Howard Leight has been a part of the Bacou-Dalloz(tm) Hearing Safety Group. Combining the innovation and expertise of Howard Leight(r) Earplugs and Bilsom(r) Earmuffs, the Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group is a world leader in hearing safety.

In 2001 Dalloz joined with Bacou to form the Bacou-Dalloz Group, the world leader in the design, manufacturing and sale of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The company employs about 6,700 people and operates 48 production facilities. Bacou-Dalloz provides unmatched head-to-toe protection through three strategic business segments: head protection (eye, hearing and respiratory), body protection (gloves, clothes and shoes) and fall protection. Bacou-Dalloz offers a full product range aimed at the manufacturing, construction, telecommunications, medical, public services and other sectors. Its products are available from its distributor partners worldwide.

For additional product information, contact:
Howard Leight Industries
7828 Waterville Road
San Diego, CA 92154
Tel: 800/430-5490
Fax: 401/232-3110
http://www.howardleight.com
email: rbessette@bacou-dalloz.com