Organizing for safety

The invention of many new machines, beginning with Watt's steam engine (1769), released great forces for production. But the same machines that meant increased production also meant increased dangers for workers. The development of safety devices for machinery lagged far behind the rapid advance of new productive machinery. Factory injuries and work stoppages became so common that, beginning in 1867, many European employers formed an accident-prevention association and installed some devices to make factory work safer.

Bismarck's government in Germany passed many social welfare laws, among them the Sickness Insurance Act of 1883 and the Industrial Accident Insurance Law of 1884. These laws provided financial payment (compensation) to injured workers and their families, held employers financially responsible for accidents, and required that they be insured against serious and fatal accidents to employees. These laws were the first real workmen's compensation laws. Austria passed similar legislation in 1887, and Norway, Finland, and France all passed compensation acts in the 1890's.

England passed the Employers Liability Act in 1880, which establish the right of injured worker to sue his employer. However, he had to prove personal negligence on the part of the employer. In 1897 England passed the Workmen's Compensation Act, which enable workmen to collect damages except in cases of their own gross negligence. However, the law did not require the employer to carry insurance against such claims.

In the United States, Maryland passed the first workmen's compensation act in 1902, although it was later declared invalid. In 1911 nine states passed such laws, among them New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, and California. These laws held industry responsible for the welfare and safety of employees.

Meanwhile, many new safety devices were invented. Before 1900, air brakes and automatic couplers were developed for use on trains, reducing railroad accidents significantly. Progress had been made also in many phases of fire prevention. Guards and shields protected factory workers from the moving parts of machinery.

In 1912 the First Co-operative Safety Congress met in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and at a second meeting in New York in 1913 the National Council for Industrial Safety was organized. Shortly afterward the new council changed its name to National Safety Council. The council compiled information on safety and co-ordinated efforts toward safety. Its program was expanded to include all types of accident prevention.

See also : James Watt biography | Otto von Bismarck biography