Essay about Lessons of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911

The sheer physical nature of fire is to consume all fuel that lay in its path. That is exactly what happened in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911. The building itself was reported to be fire proof, but what about its contents? The amount of unused cotton and other fabric scraps that were piled up were ample amounts of fuel just waiting to be consumed by a spark. The business owners kept what little exits and escape routes the building had locked for fear of a thieving employee. The employees mostly took the elevators up and down the building, limiting their knowledge of possible escape routes. Given those three factors combined, it was only a matter of time before disaster would strike. The fire started and quickly cut off†¦show more content†¦(Von Drehle, 2003) The greatest lesson learned from this tragedy was the need for planned fire drills and accessible fire escapes. If the employers would have made it mandatory that all employees become familiar with the buildings layout, practice fire drills and know their closest fire escape, it would have aided the employees in the hour of despair. The biggest cause for death in this fire was a result of poor pre-fire planning. The building may be fire proof, but the people and contents inside are not. The Triangle tragedy opened many people’s eyes. The realities of a disaster happening anywhere, at anytime, were real and people needed to prepare. Many investigations were launched surrounding the Triangle fire. Commissions formed that later gave out rulings and findings. Even the Ladies Garment Workers Union became involved, trying to get standards and codes passed that would ensure the safety of workers in the workplace. It took many years for the commissions and unions to get the cha nges implemented. Today, regardless of OSHA enforcement, there are still workplaces with locked or blocked emergency exits. Due to the lesson that was learned in the Triangle fire, we now have organizations like OSHA, NFPA, state and local municipals that make code and enforce standards. Their goal is to ensure the safety of lives and property by enforcing the codes and standards of all workplacesShow MoreRelatedThe Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire Essay example1460 Words   |  6 Pagesfollowing is a short excerpt of those who fought and died due to the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire. â€Å"The â€Å"Triangle† Company†¦ With blood this name will be written in the history of the American workers’ movement, and with feel will this history recall the names of the strikers of this shop—of the crusaders.†Ã¢â‚¬â€ Jewish Daily Forward (Drehle) On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire broke out. 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