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The Fire
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was on the 8th, 9th, and 10th floor of the Asch Building. This was the deadliest industrial disaster in history. This fire killed 146 people. Some weren't even killed by the fire. People jumped to their deaths because the elevator was overfilled, and the door to the stairs was locked because the owners were afraid the workers would steal things. The other option was the fire escape... until it broke. People were also killed when that fell. -
The Procession
To remember the lives lost in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, many people marched up 5th Avenue on April 5, 1911. Over 120,000 people marched, and over 400,000 people watched. Martha Bruere wrote, "Never have seen a military pageant or triumphant ovation so impressive.... it is dawning on these thousands on thousands that such things do not have to be!". -
The Committe
After the fire, a committee was formed. People in this committee were civic and religious leaders, reformers, teachers, and others. this committee wanted to launch an investigation on fire safety, but they needed a state legislators to sign a bill to do so. The timing on their behalf could not have been better, because the state office burnt down right before they proposed the bill. This encouraged them to sign it. Robert Wagner and Alfred E. Smith introduced the bill, and they were off. -
Getting the Public's Attention
The first public hearing is what really brought attention to the safety of workplaces. During this hearing, the council said that it was less about the fire and more about the safety for the workers. The hearing brought up how unsafe the conditions of factories are in case of fire, but also brought up other unsafe measures about factories, and workplaces in general. Other topics, such as widespread diseases in factories, was also brought to attention. In the end, there were 59 hearings. -
Laws in Place Today
There are many laws in place today protecting workers from disasters that were partially influenced by the Triangle fire. One is the OHSA, or the The Occupational Safety and Health Act. To summarize this law, it mostly states that work environments cannot pose a threat or be a hazard to the workers. Another law is the Fair Labor Standard Act. This determines wage and overtime pay of one and a half times the regular rate of pay. These were all partially influenced by the Triangle fire.
