Introduction
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire was extremely destructive in New York City. This situation prompted the identification of an inadequate working environment and insufficient fire safety protection measures at industrial enterprises. The problem that resulted in the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist manufacturing plant was the absence of proper fire measures in the production area (Flynn, 2018). Therefore, it is crucial to establish the circumstances of the fire and provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Overview of Incident Investigation Report
It is important to note that the Triangle factory produced women’s blouses. On the evening of Saturday, March 25, 1911, a garbage can on the eighth floor started a fire on the eighth floor. The manager tried to extinguish it, but the fire hose was rotten, and the valve was rusted (Aitken & Aitken, 2019, p. 23). There were 600 people inside, and people started running to all the exits. The elevator was down after the fourth descent.
Women started jumping into the mine; some were burned alive on the locked stairs, and others jumped out of the windows. This created problems for the firefighters because the bodies prevented them from ascending, and the ladders only reached the seventh floor. Meanwhile, they did not have enough strong clothes to catch the jumpers. The total number of people killed, according to current information, was 146, and only 23 of them were men (Aitken & Aitken, 2019, p. 23). Thus, the non-compliance with safety precautions caused the fire and prevented people from evacuating the building.
Textiles, especially cotton and linen, were highly ignitable due to their natural cellulose-containing materials. Cellulose is a white, hard, fibrous substance that is tasteless, odorless, and insoluble in water and organic solvents. The grease in industrial sewing machines was also combustible and provided additional fire material (Aitken & Aitken, 2019). The flammable and combustible substances in the building served as fuel for the fire and spread rapidly.
Combustion is a scientific chemical process in which fuel combines with oxygen to create heat and light. The factory fuel could have been destroyed if there was sufficient oxygen, generating carbon dioxide and water steam. However, in the case of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, the volume of fuel involved was such that the oxygen supply was reduced, resulting in partial burning and the creation of toxic fumes such as carbon monoxide (Aitken & Aitken, 2019). In addition, no materials were used to start or accelerate the fire intentionally. However, the availability of flammable supplies and the lack of fire control precautions made the factory extremely sensitive to fire, and once the fire began, it spread quickly and uncontrollably.
Findings
The type of construction, floor plan, and building size influenced the event’s severity. The interior of the building was primarily wooden, which encouraged the fire’s rapid growth. The open layout of the industrial floor and insufficient fire protection measures permitted the fire to spread swiftly to the upper floors, engulfing many employees who were prevented from escaping (Aitken & Aitken, 2019).
The fire grew extremely fast, reaching its maximum in minutes. As the fire advanced, it absorbed the available oxygen rapidly, leading to partial combustion and toxic vapors (Aitken & Aitken, 2019). The fire then spread as the existing fuel was consumed, leading to a glowing mass of wreckage.
The Shirtwaist Fire is an instance of the laws of energy and matter. A factory’s combination of flammable products releases energy through heat and light. The laws of thermodynamics stipulate that energy cannot be destroyed or created; it can only be changed from one state to another (Giunta & Trasciatti, 2022).
In the case of the fire, the chemical energy contained in the fuel was converted into heat and light radiation. The law of conservation of mass also operates, according to which the total weight of the reactants in a chemical reaction equals the final product (Giunta & Trasciatti, 2022). In the case of a fire, the volume of fuel and oxygen consumed in the burning reaction was changed into the importance of combustion waste products, which included carbon dioxide, water, steam, and other metals.
Recommendations
It is advisable to provide recommendations from the Triangle fire, which contains several suggestions for avoiding similar incidents. For example, suitable fire precautions should be introduced, including installing sprinklers, fire detection systems, and security doors. In addition, the involvement of fire safety personnel for inspections and maintenance is needed to maintain the equipment (Flynn, 2018). To ensure safety, it is essential to ensure workplace safety policies and regulations and that personnel are appropriately trained in fire prevention. In addition, it is imperative to verify that construction materials and structures are fire-resistant and feature safety elements such as fire-resistant doors and walls.
Conclusion
Thus, the fire at the clothing factory became one of the most disastrous events in American history. The accident was prompted by several factors, including a mixture of flammable chemicals, the absence of fire safety measures, and an insufficient level of firefighting equipment. The incident is also relevant for developing occupational safety and health, highlighting the need for properly managed and enforced fire safety measures to prevent similar incidents from continuing. The laws of energy and matter were also demonstrated in the chemical reactions that ensued during the fire. Since energy was converted into a new form, the reagents’ weight was maintained during the reaction.
References
Aitken, R., & Aitken, M. (2019). The Triangle fire tragedy, trial, and triumph. Litigation, 45(3), 21-24. Web.
Giunta, E., & Trasciatti, M. A. (2022). Talking to the girls: Intimate and political essays on the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire. New Village Press.
Flynn, M. A. (2018). Im/migration, work, and health: Anthropology and the occupational health of labor im/migrants. Anthropology of Work Review: AWR, 39(2), 116. Web.