Triangle Fire Research Paper
687 Words
3 Pages
According to William Henning, Jr. Chairperson of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health that only a day before the tragic catastrophe at Triangle, the New York State Court of Appeals had found workmen’s compensation laws were unconstitutional and would interfere with “due process” rights of employers (2011). After the Triangle fire and the outcry of the public to the lack of liability of employer the New York state Constitution was amended to include workers’ compensation laws in 1913.
Another positive gain from the Triangle fire was the recognized need to organize. Peg Seminario Safety and Health Director for the national AFL-CIO said that since the passage of the OSHAct in 1970 great progress has been made in reducing …show more content…
The environment was ripe with hazards that just a little good housekeeping might could have prevented this tragic event. If flammable materials were properly discarded the dropped cigarette might have not ignited the fire. If smoking was not allowed in the factory or if there was a designated smoking area away from hazards this would have not happen. If there was a fire escape plan in place and practiced it could have reduced the panic, but the only plan Triangle had was the fire escapes outside the building and a few red buckets that were empty. Today most companies post escape routes in the event of fire and some have periodic fire drills. If there was an alarm system in place, it might have given the victims on the 9th floor a chance at escaping, but since this event building are equipped with fire alarms that can be heard throughout the building and some buildings have fire suppression equipment. If the doors and exits were not locked a pathway might have provided a route of escape for the workers. Today it is hard to image employers locking doors, but Imperial Foods a chicken process plant in 1991 locked its doors and resulted in 25 workers being trapped and killed in a fire. Dr. Linda Rae Murray, President of the American Public Health Association stated that less than 20 years ago Wal-Mart was sued for routinely locking their night-shift workers in their stores …show more content…
The Triangle fire claimed the lives of 146 people, most being Italian and Jewish immigrants and most young women and girls. The people that operate on the margins of society are the most vulnerable, needing protection and often not heard unless it is a collective voice.
Mary Harris “Mother” Jones once said “Mourn the dead, but fight like hell for the living”. This approach is the approach that has to be taken to protect worker’s rights. Regulation and policy are the tools to protect workers and not self-correcting markets and the policies of OSHA are in place not to hinder business, but enhance business. The saddest part of the Triangle Factory fire is that women and girls had to burn before change could
Another positive gain from the Triangle fire was the recognized need to organize. Peg Seminario Safety and Health Director for the national AFL-CIO said that since the passage of the OSHAct in 1970 great progress has been made in reducing …show more content…
The environment was ripe with hazards that just a little good housekeeping might could have prevented this tragic event. If flammable materials were properly discarded the dropped cigarette might have not ignited the fire. If smoking was not allowed in the factory or if there was a designated smoking area away from hazards this would have not happen. If there was a fire escape plan in place and practiced it could have reduced the panic, but the only plan Triangle had was the fire escapes outside the building and a few red buckets that were empty. Today most companies post escape routes in the event of fire and some have periodic fire drills. If there was an alarm system in place, it might have given the victims on the 9th floor a chance at escaping, but since this event building are equipped with fire alarms that can be heard throughout the building and some buildings have fire suppression equipment. If the doors and exits were not locked a pathway might have provided a route of escape for the workers. Today it is hard to image employers locking doors, but Imperial Foods a chicken process plant in 1991 locked its doors and resulted in 25 workers being trapped and killed in a fire. Dr. Linda Rae Murray, President of the American Public Health Association stated that less than 20 years ago Wal-Mart was sued for routinely locking their night-shift workers in their stores …show more content…
The Triangle fire claimed the lives of 146 people, most being Italian and Jewish immigrants and most young women and girls. The people that operate on the margins of society are the most vulnerable, needing protection and often not heard unless it is a collective voice.
Mary Harris “Mother” Jones once said “Mourn the dead, but fight like hell for the living”. This approach is the approach that has to be taken to protect worker’s rights. Regulation and policy are the tools to protect workers and not self-correcting markets and the policies of OSHA are in place not to hinder business, but enhance business. The saddest part of the Triangle Factory fire is that women and girls had to burn before change could