March 25, 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City. The Triangle Fire remains one of the deadliest industrial accidents in US history.
Most of the 146 victims were recent immigrant Jewish and Italian women aged sixteen to twenty-three. They perished in the fire or in desperate attempts to escape it.
There were many factors that led to so many deaths. More than 500 people worked on the eight, ninth and tenth floors in the cramped factory building. There were no alarms -- workers learned of the fire after it was too late. A few buckets of water were on the factory floor -- no hoses, no extinguishers, no hope of fighting the flames.
Exit doors swung inward, unable to open when the crush of panicked workers pressed against them. Managers routinely kept some doors to stairwells and exits locked to prevent theft. Two freight elevators became inoperable from fire damage after a few trips. A single exterior fire escape, warped by the heat of the fire, collapsed under the weight of people attempting to flee, plunging them to their deaths.
When the fire department arrived, their tallest ladders could only reach six stories. Workers jumped to their deaths rather than be burned.
But the tragedy spurred demand for change. Labor unions and reformers demanded and won workplace safety laws.
Today, you can see the evidence of their efforts all around in public buildings and workplaces. You see clearly marked exits with wide doors that swing outward. Signs above doors that read "Must remain unlocked during business hours." Alarms, fire extinguishers, and sprinkler systems are all in evidence. Building and business owners must observe the posted maximum capacity in their operations. You'll see regular inspections for fire and safety hazards.
We remember the Triangle Fire because of this legacy. 146 garment workers lost their lives, but they bequeathed to all future generations safer places to gather and to work.