They say the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, and as philosopher George Santayana noted, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Many of the hazards faced by workers in 2014 are not new. OSHA regularly cites companies today for the same threats to safety and health that workers have faced for hundreds of years: blocked exits (the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire), respiratory hazards (the Hawk's Nest Tunnel tragedy), amputation hazards (meatpackers in the 1900s), having underage workers (child laborers captured by Lewis Hine) and mine explosions and collapses (Fairmont Coal Co.’s Monongah, W.Va., mine explosion).
Over the years, photography has been one of the most powerful tools for documenting hazardous workplace conditions and driving lawmakers and employers to take action.
Remember the past with these five photo galleries and let's not repeat it...
Sandy Smith is the former content director of EHS Today, and is currently the EHSQ content & community lead at Intelex Technologies Inc. She has written about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990.
