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                        KRONISH, LIEB, WEINER & HELLMAN
                          1114 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
                           NEW YORK, N.Y. 10036-7798
                           TELEPHONE: (212) 479-6000
                              FAX: (212) 479-6275




                                              February 28, 1995
         
         
         The Board of Directors
         BHA Group, Inc.
         8800 East 63rd Street
         Kansas City, Missouri 64133
         
         Dear Sirs:
         
                  We have acted as counsel to BHA Group, Inc., a Delaware
         corporation (the "Company"), in connection with its registration
         statement on Form S-8 filed pursuant to the Securities Act of
         1933, as amended (the "Registration Statement"), relating to an
         amendment to the Company's Incentive Stock Plan (the "Plan")
         which, among other things, (i) increased the number of shares of
         the Company's $.01 par value Class A Common Stock (the "Common
         Stock") available for issuance under the Plan by 310,000 shares
         (the "New Plan Shares") from 970,000 shares to an aggregate of
         1,280,000 shares,  (ii) allocated 200,000 of the New Plan Shares
         for issuance pursuant to stock options under the Plan,  (iii)
         allocated 90,000 of the New Plan Shares for issuance to
         employees, officers and directors as restricted shares,  (iv)
         allocated 20,000 of the New Plan Shares for issuance to directors
         who are not employees of the Company in lieu of cash payment of
         directors' fees, and (v) extended the expiration date of the Plan
         from September 4, 1996 to August 9, 2004.
         
                  For purposes of the opinions expressed in this letter,
         we have examined the Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws of
         the Company, as amended to date, records of the corporate
         proceedings of the Company, and such other documents and records
         of the Company, and such certificates of officers of the Company,
         public officials and others as we have deemed necessary or
         appropriate as a basis for such opinions.  In making our
         examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures,
         the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all
         documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to the
         originals of all documents submitted to us as photostatic or
         conformed copies.
         

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KRONISH, LIEB, WEINER & HELLMAN

            BHA Group, Inc.
            Page 2
         
         
                  We are members of the Bar of the State of New York and,
         for purposes of the opinions expressed in this letter, do not
         hold ourselves out as experts on, nor are we, in rendering the
         opinions expressed herein, passing on the laws of any
         jurisdiction other than the federal laws of the United States,
         the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law
         of the State of Delaware.
         
                  Based on the foregoing, and having regard to such legal
         considerations as we have deemed relevant, we are of the opinion
         that the New Plan Shares have been duly authorized and, upon the
         issuance thereof and payment therefor in accordance with the
         terms of the Plan, will be validly issued, fully paid and
         nonassessable shares of Common Stock of the Company.
         
                  We hereby consent to the inclusion of this letter as an
         exhibit to the Registration Statement.
         
                                             Very truly yours,
         
         
                                             /s/ KRONISH, LIEB, WEINER & HELLMAN


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