The Evolution of Safety - What's Next?

摘要

The year 1911 has been dubbed the year that the modern safety move-ment began. It started after the disastrous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. On March 25,1911, fire broke out on the 8th floor of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in the Asch Buildingin New York. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, nearing closing time of a long work week; people were already in the park down the block enjoying the day when a spark flashed in a pile of scrap. In just 34 harrowing minutes that fire caused the deaths of146 young women and men. The youngest victims were only 14 years old. They died because the fire suppression systems didn't work. The external fire escape stairs failed and fell. At least one of the exit doors was locked. Those deaths raised a nationalcry for workplace safety. The modern safety movement began with the improvement of enforcing basic building codes and fire codes. Labor laws were written to protect children, and workers' compensation laws were developed to protect workers injured on the job. That was the start. Safety training for employees began to evolve.