Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire Case Report

Register to read the introduction… Two significant events set a precedent for creating reforms and programs for the workplace, which were Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire and Gauley Bridge Disaster. The Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire took 146 women lives. The incident took place March 25, 1911 in New York City on a Saturday afternoon. Usually on a typical day, the bosses would lock the doors and stairwells so the women could not leave their station and/or sewing machine. The fire broke out on the 8th floor, Eva Harris, one of the workers screamed “Fire!” and the manager, Samuel Bernstein grabbed buckets of water, but the fire spread at a fast rate (Greene, Drehel). The reason for the fire was the old useless cloths had not been emptied in a week, in result the cloths caught on fire. Buckets of water could not seize the fire and the fire spread to the stairwells causing the workers to result to suicide by jumping off the roof from hundreds of …show more content…
Primary prevention includes engineering controls, modification of work practices and administrative controls. Physical modifications of the work environment to reduce hazards are examples of engineering controls, such as use of quieter machinery, installation of protective guards, and improvement of building ventilation to remove dusts and vapors (Friis, 2006). Examples of modification of work practices include use of safety education and training programs in order to change work procedures so that they are safer than the usual methods (Friis, 2006). Examples of administrative controls are organization of work shifts and rotation of employees to minimize exposure to hazards (Friis, 2006). There are some other different types of methods for protecting workers from occupational hazards; personal protective equipment (PPE), public health surveillance, and establishment and enforcement of exposure limits. Examples of personal protective equipment are goggles, coveralls, gloves, vests, earplugs and respirators. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) describes personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect employees from serious workplace injuries or illness resulting from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. Personal protective equipment can be seen in the medical field, construction industry, mining industry, engineering industry and many other industries in the work environment. The personal protective equipment like contaminant removers and clean air suppliers can help protect against airborne hazards like chemicals and gases. There is also protective hear devices like ear plugs and ear muffs that protects workers and individuals from extremely loud noise levels. Then there is protective eye-ware device that protects workers and individuals against solid objects, fluids and gases and burns. It