Worker Safety - The Triangle Fire Legacy

The following is the lesson in Economics class for Friday, October 5th.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911 was a turning point for employee health and safety protections in the U.S. You will investigate the Triangle tragedy and how its impact is still felt today. Identify eerie parallels between the Triangle Fire and more recent workplace events with safety implications – recent complaints of Wal-Mart employee lock-ins, a deadly fire in a North Carolina poultry processing plant in 1991, and a 1993 fire in a Thailand toy factory given the sad distinction of most deadly industrial fire in the world. How can future tragedies be prevented in the workplace? Assess the costs, benefits and effectiveness of various government and labor actions. You will discover that worker safety is a complex issue and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Following links to gather information on the worst industrial fire in U.S. History:
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire: 1911

In addition to the links already provided for the Triangle Fire, you will use the following links for information on more current cases.
Case 1: Wal-Mart Lock-Ins. 2003
Workers Assail Night Lock-Ins by Wal-Mart

Case 2: Kader Industrial Fire. 1993
Thai Toy Factory Fire

ILO Report on the Fire at the Kader Industrial Co. Ltd Factory

Next look at the issue of Sweatshops in the modern world by answering the following questions by clicking Sweatshop Watch.
1. Why do sweatshops exist?
2. How does this affect garment workers?
3. When workers demand their rights what is likely to occur?
4. Does the US and International Community have laws that protect such workers?

Visit and create a List What You Can Do…