Skylar Traub
Mrs. Maslowe
30 November 2018
Composition and Grammar
Opening America’s Eyes
What suddenly caused a fire to erupt in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and kill 146 people? On March 25, 1912, one of the most destructive factory fires in history struck the top three floors of the Asch Building in New York City. The gruesome conditions inside the ten story building left 146 young immigrant women imprisoned behind doors. This led women to their last resort which was either dangling from ledges, jumping from windows, or shrieking because their dresses were scorching on fire. Debates still continue over whether the fire started from a cigarette thrown onto an elevator, or dropped into a rag bin. The disturbing and vile conditions within these factories urged Americans to work together to create a secure work environment that would keep everyone safe (Stein 15; Gambardello 1).
In 1911, safety features in buildings were available to all landowners in New York City. Despite that, no one demanded that these features be installed in workplaces. Although some of these buildings had fire pails, standpipes, and a rusty hose, they lacked the most important component, automatic sprinklers. At the time, most factories were constructed of brick and stone exterior walls, wooden doors, and extremely narrow stairways, usually with inward opening doors. Yet, employees were blind to the locations of the stairways and other exits, so the narrowness didn’t seem to matter. Beyond that, the floors were normally littered with garbage and saturated in oil. People took no time to clean these floors, but instead, smoked on the job. No one was aware of it at the time, but that was a major fire hazard (U.S.Newswire 2; Cornell University 2-3).
Ironically, a compensation law was abolished on March 24, 1912 because it was affirmed “unconstitutional.” A compensation law simply states that people receive some type of payment for their work. The following day, everything would change. Due to the dangerous conditions within factories in New York City, the Triangle building burnt down as everyone was packing up for the day. It may not have seemed like it that day, but the fire was easily preventable. If only those safety features had been taken into consideration by the owners of the factory, 146 young women would have arrived home safely that afternoon. The fire created a domino effect of events in history. It led to the U.S. labor movement, the New Deal, occupational safety and health standards, and the NYC Fire Department. Then, the grieving of survivors not being able to receive money led to a worker’s compensation law passed in 1913 (U.S.Newswire 1; Henning 3).
All the disasters that took place after the fire are not what brought change, it was the unions and the actions the workers made. Afterwards, Isaac Harris and Max Blanck, the factory owners, were charged with manslaughter under a state law contributing that factory doors must be unlocked during the work day. A Fire Investigating Commision was also created. They enacted over 30 laws, refining factory standards and labor hours. Thanks to the commision, industry is thoroughly managed today. There is an intensified awareness in all corporations regarding the significance of worker safety and contamination. For instance, there is a new standard of OSHA, Hazard Communications, that requires producers to place informative labels on hazardous chemicals and recommend safety procedures. Concurrently, while thousands of chemicals, generally used in factories, are acquainted with us each year, 90 percent of them haven’t been evaluated for abiding health conditions (Seminario 5; Lewin 2-4).
Insurers have majorly impacted workplace safety in factories by taking the time to notice how important it really is. They have inspected workplaces to evaluate the security of the buildings. Before the fire, they were so focused on promoting bigger and better systems, that they totally disregarded hazard abatement. It has become mandatory that all factories have certain safety features. This includes automatic sprinkler systems, fire drills, smoke alarms and smoke detectors, and doors that open outward. Similarly, there are new workplace safety guidelines that restrict exposure to asbestos, coal dust, and additional noxious material. In addition, workplaces must provide proper storage for flammable materials (U.S.Newswire 1-2, Seminario 5).
The fight for safety and health in workplaces will not be entirely succeeded until our economic system stops encouraging managers to put earnings before people. We have to be mindful that the rights we have previously won, could be at stake. An increasing amount of misclassified workers are being eliminated from the coverage of safety laws. Furthermore, workers who are assuredly protected by these laws, undergo infringement daily. The reason we have these rights are because of the efforts made by inspectors and insurers. As a result of the fire, we have to remember those that fought in labor movements, and retain the current quality of labor. A wise woman named Mary Harris once said we should “mourn the dead, but fight like hell for the living” (Hughes 4; U.S.Newswire 1; Milkman 35; Cassidy 18).
Works Cited
"After Triangle Fire, Insurers Played a Leading Role in Boosting U.S. Workplace Safety." U.S.Newswire, Mar 21 2011, ProQuest. Web. 9 Nov. 2018 .
"The Fire Hazard in Factory Buildings." Cornell University, trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/primary/reports/FireHazardInFactoryBuildings.html. Accessed 8 Nov. 2018.
Joseph A. "March 25, 1911: THE TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FACTORY FIRE A Tragedy that Horrified A Nation." Newsday, Combined editions ed., Mar 26 1990, ProQuest. Web. 28 Nov. 2018 .
Lewin, Tamar. "ARCHIVES OF BUSINESS: THE TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FIRE – MARCH 25, 1911; A TRAGEDY THAT ECHOES STILL." New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast) ed., Mar 23 1986, ProQuest. Web. 9 Nov. 2018 .
NYCOSH. "Don’t Mourn – Organize." The New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, 2011. Google, www.osha.gov/oas/NYCOSH_Triangle_Jounal.pdf. Accessed 9 Nov. 2018.
Stein, Leon. The Triangle Fire. E-book, Ithaca, NY, Cornell UP, 2011.