100th Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Sparks Fire Safety Awareness

       Friday March 25 2011 marks the 100^th anniversary of the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. The infamous fire claimed the life of 146 garment workers on the upper floors of a New York City sweatshop. The outcome of this horrific event helped to inspire the labor movement and shape the regulations of new fire safety and building codes.

The charred interior of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York, March 25, 1911. The building - which had no sprinklers, only one fire escape, and locked doors - was a deathtrap for 146 workers.  (Cornell Univ./Kheel Center)

 

       Although, fire safety has improved immensely from 100 years ago it is still an unfortunate occurrence in the workplace. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 174 fatal injuries due to fires and explosions in 2008, 18 of which were in the oil and gas industry.  To honor this tragedy’s importance on the birth of workplace safety regulations, SafetySkills™  features a free online course at http://www.safetyskills.com/basic-fire-safety. This fire safety course will teach employees and individuals how to stay safe in a fire emergency. Viewers will learn their responsibilities in a fire emergency, how to identify different alarm signals, evacuation routes, procedures and fire extinguisher use.  Let’s make this one part of history that does not repeat itself.