History of Workplace Safety
A look at over 200 years of safety developments in the workplace
To know where you’re going, you need to know where you’ve been. People spend a lot of time on current trends in the workplace, but don’t often look back at how work has evolved. One area that doesn’t get enough attention is the history of workplace safety. In this post, we’ll look at how safety has improved over time to appreciate just how far we’ve come.
Industry on the rise
Workplace safety concerns began in Europe with the labour movement during the Industrial Revolution. During this movement, Workers formed unions and began to demand better working conditions. Government organizations responded by regulating the workplace and forcing safer work practices. Because most organizations were industry specific, industries developed safety regulations independent of each other. We’ll be looking at key industries from this time to see how their safety standards developed.
Mining gains steam
Beginning in the late 1600s, shaft mining increased when the steam pump made it possible to remove water from deep shafts. In the 1770s, steam engines became more efficient and fuel costs dropped, making mines also became more profitable. Mines at the time often employed children, and were incredibly dangerous. Besides equipment accidents, miners faced collapsing beams, rock falls, suffocation, and floods. Poisonous and flammable gases were unseen dangers that could explode if ignited. Over time, developments in technology worked their way into the mining industry. The safety lamp was invented in 1816, and enclosed the flame to prevent the ignition of gases found in mines. Further improvements came with electric lighting and battery-powered lamps.
Manufacturing change
When manufacturing moved workers into factories, new kinds of hazards began to present themselves. Factory work at the time meant long hours with poor ventilation and dangerous equipment. In 1784, poor working conditions cause a fever outbreak among cotton mill workers in the United Kingdom. This eventually led to the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act in 1802. The act required factories to provide proper ventilation and clean work spaces. While it was not regularly enforced, this act set a precedent for factory acts that followed.
The railroad makes tracks
Men standing on an open train. SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Early trains and rail systems were built weak. Even though they were much slower than today’s rail systems, they were very dangerous. Common injuries and fatalities in the railroad industry included boiler explosions and train wrecks. Making matters worse, railroad bridges often weren’t strong enough to support their load. This lead to occasional collapses as trains crossed. Poor braking systems and heavy loads meant stopping could be difficult. In the United States, heavy traffic on single-track lines made collisions common. Workers operated hand brakes on top of cars, leading to many deaths during train wrecks. In 1851-52, 28 percent of fatalities reported in New York were the result of falls from trains. Poor safety records became an increasing concern for the railroad. By the 1870s, air brakes became standard equipment on most passenger trains. Freight trains followed in 1881. In 1893, these new developments produced the United States’ Federal Safety Appliance Act. The act mandated air brakes, automated couplers, and handholds on all railroad cars carrying freight.
Developments in agriculture
Working on a farm around the turn of the century. SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Agricultural workers historically dealt with infectious diseases from animal waste, spoiled grain, and particulate matter. When agriculture industrialized, workers faced new dangers from pesticides and mechanized equipment. As science and medicine began to transform agriculture, worker safety was also affected. The study of microbes and diseases helped workers, but advancements also brought other dangers. Chemicals like pesticides were originally only tested for their effectiveness, without concern for workers. Since then, government organizations have now helped label chemicals for toxicity and potential health impacts. Policy improvements in the 20th century eventually led to chemicals being tested for safety.
Labor and workers days become recognized
Since the 1890s, Labour Day in Canada and Labor Day in the US have recognized and celebrated workers’ rights every September as an official holiday. For the rest of the world, International Workers’ Day (aka Labour Day as well or May Day) is celebrated every year on May 1, which was ostensibly inspired earlier in 1856 by Australian masons who did mass work stoppage to protest long, unsafe work hours.
The International Labour Organization (ILO)
Created as part of the legendary Treaty of Versailles that helped bring World War I to an end, the International Labour Organization (ILO) arose from “security, humanitarian, political and economic considerations.” The ILO Constitution in 1919 by the Labour Commission, chaired by Samuel Gompers, head of the American Federation of Labour (AFL), and was originally made up of representatives from nine countries: Belgium, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, the United Kingdom as well as the United States.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act and Administration - US and Canada
In the 70s, governments around the world began to take worker and occupational health and safety much more seriously.
In 1970, the US passes the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and creates the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) to pass, regulate, and maintain health and safety standards and regulations. The OHS Act was created to safety and working conditions for workers regardless of job title and industry.
Eight years later, Canada took similar steps passing an OHS act and forming the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). The goals of the CCOHS are “for the advancement of safe and healthy workplaces and preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths.”
A focus on safety training
In 1992, the OSHA establishes the OSHA Training Institute and then the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center Program, which trains “Federal and State compliance officers and State consultation program staff, but also provides training for private sector personnel and Federal personnel from agencies other than OSHA on a space available basis.”
Safety training is now the focus and priority of many major safety organizations such:
With the significant advances in technology, safety training can now be completed anytime and anywhere with virtual simulation devices that can replicate almost any scenario in the workplace using sensors, headsets, and controllers. Because of this, safety training has become much more affordable and safer for the participants.
Workplace safety evolves
Like the Industrial Revolution, the Digital Revolution has changed where and how people work. With many people now working alone, governments have identified lone workers as being especially at risk. Lone workers range from people working with the public to workers in the energy industry. Even self-employed or mobile workers can be lone workers. As with other safety issues, legislation has also increased the adoption of lone worker safety. Services and equipment now provide safety for lone workers, including check-in-based monitoring solutions.
Looking forward
Looking at the change over the past 200 years, it’s easy to see how safety evolved to meet the needs of the workplace. The Industrial Revolution created new kinds of jobs, and the Digital Revolution has done the same. In a tech-savvy world, the future is looking bright for workplace safety.