Nearly everyone knows the story of the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911 where hundreds of young girls, most Jewish or Italian immigrants, perished because the doors were locked and there was no escape. 146 garment workers died from the fire, smoke inhalation or jumping. The youngest were sisters, aged 14. It was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of NYC and one of the deadliest in US history. There were no such things then as 'workplace safety codes', OSHA, and other safeguards.
Subsequently legislation was passed requiring improvements in safety standards and it also helped grow the International Ladies Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) who fought for better working conditions. The owners of the building were never held truly accountable and, in fact, they pocketed the lion's share of the insurance settlement intended for victims' families.
BACKSTORY: But what most people do not know is that Al Smith and Robert Wagner, leaders of the NY Assembly and Senate, collaborated with other Tammany Hall politicians and reformers to facilitate changes for workers. They created the Factory Investigating Commission which investigated factory conditions in NYC and other cities, held a series of very publicized hearings around the state, hired field agents to do inspections, instituted fire safety plans, did risk management studies as well as other reforms. As a result, 38 new laws regulating labor were passed quickly and they became known as progressive reformers working on behalf of working families. They also changed the reputation of Tammany Hall and gave it a more credible image.
Their leadership and the changes they brought also gave NY its reputation as a progressive state that fought for workers, mandating better building access and egress, fireproofing requirements, safety and cleanliness for employees as well as work hours. By 1913 more than 60 laws were enacted and a new profession had arisen: the American Society of Safety Engineers.