In this post-Triangle era, the social contract was re-written to ensure a safety net, meant to protect the vulnerable members of society.Д®ighty years after Triangle, a fire broke out at an Imperial Food Products plant in Hamlet, North Carolina, when a fryer ignited and flames fed off grease and oils on the factory floor. Leading New York politicians like Al Smith, the reform-minded governor and 1928 Democratic presidential candidate, and Francis Perkins, the labor activist who would become FDRвЂ™s secretary of labor, ushered in a shift in governance that prioritized worker safety.

The tragic incident spurredВ a number of labor regulations, such as New YorkвЂ™s mandate for better fire safety efforts and workplace ventilation, and began a national conversation about what the government can or should do to prevent such occurrences. The sole fire escape collapsed as the workers tried to flee and the firefightersвЂ™ rescue ladders couldnвЂ™t extend high enough, leaving dozens of the women to jump to their deaths. Horrifyingly, the stairwell doors and exits were locked, standard operating procedure for supervisors hoping to maximize productivity, curb theft and keep out union organizers. One-hundred-forty-six workers, most of them poor, Jewish and Italian immigrant women and girls, died when a fire engulfed three floors of the factoryвЂ™s building.

When one thinks of the worst industrial accidents in United States history, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 springs to mind. Aftermath of the fire at Imperial Foods processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina

Hamlet north carolina