Remembering the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

February 25, 2011 PBS Wisconsin Leave a Comment

Watch American Experience: Triangle Fire at 8:00 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28 on Wisconsin Public Television.

I have always assumed that current workplace standards and policies were created over the years based on a combination of long-term realizations of necessity and major events.  However, I had never heard of the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory that occurred in New York City in March of 1911.  This one tragic event that occurred 100 years ago not only left New York with a whole new set of workplace regulations, but laid the path for our entire country to make employee safety a primary concern.   It’s amazing to think back to how things used to work and compare them to now.  I still find random tornado and fire drills annoying, but I am happy to live in a time where tragedies such as this are few and far between.

PBS public television Program History New York City films American Experience