March 25 Marks 100th Anniversary of Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

March 24, 2011
On March 25, 1911, a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in the Asch Building in New York City took the lives of 146 women and men unable to escape due to inadequate safety protections. Doors were locked; the fire escape had melted. Many desperate to escape jumped out windows to their deaths while thousands of New Yorkers watched in horror. Public outrage over this tragedy led to new work and safety legislation, rules and regulations nationwide.

On March 24, the New York City chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the organization that formed 7 months after the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, will host a commemorative dinner at the New York City Fire Museum in memory of the victims.

ASSE also will participate in a conference focusing on the fire at the City University of New York Murphy Institute, as well as the events held at the site of the fire on the New York University (NYU) campus on March 25.

NYU currently hosts an exhibit, “The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: One Hundred Years After,” that draws on historical photographs, archives, artifacts and film clips to tell the story of the fire and lessons learned. The exhibit will be on display at NYU Open House through May.

Visit Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition’s Web site to learn more about other commemorative events.

Remembering the Victims

Today, workplaces are safer but more needs to be done, ASSE stressed. On March 24, New York ASSE members, along with special guests, ASSE President-Elect Terrie Norris, CSP, ARM, state officials, members of the Remember the Triangle Coalition and more, will remember the victims, review the tragedy and what transpired afterwards and consider what needs to be done to ensure workplace safety now and in the future. Former New York Fire Marshall and ASSE member Chris Connor will discuss the fire then and fire safety now.

Similar workplace tragedies continue to occur, such as in Hamlet, N.C., in 1991, when 25 people died in a chicken production factory fire. The doors were locked and the workers were trapped inside. Today, however, millions of people leave work injury- and illness-free to return home safely due, in part, to the work of occupational safety, health and environmental professionals.

ASSE’s documentary on work safety the past 100 years, “ASSE – Celebrating a Century of Safety,” which features information about the Triangle fire, can be viewed at http://www.asse.org/assecenturyofsafety. ASSE’s free brochure about the fire is available as a PDF at http://www.asse.org/newsroom/100/toolkit/Triangle-Shirtwaist-Factory-Fire-Brochure.pdf.

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.

Sponsored Recommendations

April 25, 2025
Environmental audits should be a core part of your EHS program regardless of whether you choose to pursue ISO 14001 certification.
April 25, 2025
Streamline EHS inspections. Conduct, track, and manage inspections effortlessly with customizable checklists, real-time reporting, and actionable insights.
April 25, 2025
A winning business case is based on the ROI of the project. The essential first step is determining your EHS costs today.
April 25, 2025
The use of QR codes can greatly simplify observation, near miss, and incident reporting and improve the quantity and quality of data. The more safety information that is collected...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!