Historically, the Egyptians were aware of the dangerous fumes developed by Gold & Silver during the melting process in the Furnace. In the early 3000BC, they even developed a First-Aid manual for workers.

It was Hammurabi in 2000BC, who placed value on Injuries like loss of an eye (that included workers’ compensation or doctor’s bill)

In 1500BC, Rameses hired a Physician for the Quarry workers

In 400BC, Hippocrates, also known as the Father of Medicine, realised that stone cutters were having respiratory problems.

In 100BC, the Romans identified the damages faced by Workers. They took the initiative to free a slave if the Ship survives the Launch.

Salus, the Goddess of Safety & Health, was worshipped by Roman’s and the Image of the Goddess can be found on the COINS.

Image Courtesy https://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/reverse_salus.html?srsltid=AfmBOopfivNgP4hakxf48q-_oCYbq6y7kDmYBy0Oryru6WJv6jctp2cO

In middle age, people became more aware of the relation between the type of work they did and the result of injuries & illnesses caused by that particular work.

Image Courtesy – https://www.chimneyspecialistsinc.com/blog/history-of-chimney-sweeps/

In the 1700s, in England, the chimney sweeps were mostly prone to testicular cancer due to the spread of soot while cleaning.

With the era of the Industrial Revolution, we saw a change in the work environment & with the use of machinery, that caused injuries, illness & even deaths. This developed the first Unions in Organisations that were trying to protect workers from Hazards at the workplace. We saw a massive improvement in Fire Protection due to the pressure from Insurance Companies. This was soon pursued for Inspections of Factories by the Massachusetts requirement, and it led to the first Acts & Regulations related to Mining.

Many lives were saved & many people were saved from Amputations after Industries like railroads invented Air Brakes & Automatic Couplers as an adaptation to Safety Measures.

Initially, most of the employees blamed their workers, and the workers were being held responsible for any kind of Workplace Incidents but it all changed when in the 1900’s Workers’ Compensation (WC) Laws’ first part was initially developed, and in 1916, it was deemed Constitutional by the Supreme Court (US).

Before the Worker’s Compensation law, “The Common Laws” were in existence, which stated 3 Simple Rules.

1. Employer is not responsible when a fellow worker’s negligence causes Injury
2. Employer is not responsible if the worker is injured due to his/her own negligence
3. If an Employee takes up a risky job knowing fully well the inherent hazards, the Employer is not responsible.

As stated in the Worker’s Compensation law, the Employer is responsible for Health & Safety at the workplace. It is mandatory to provide and pay for medical expenses & lost wages if any Incident happens on the Job. Additionally, interest was also taken into account for the number of Injuries & death.

The Russell Sage Foundation was most famous for undertaking work related to the Death count for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

The Catastrophic events caused by mines resulted in more laws to protect Miners. Some major Catastrophic events in History that had a turning point for focus on protecting Miners are: –

1. In 1910, 146 young women were killed in a fire as the Exit doors were locked in the Triangle Shirt Waist Co.
2. 2000 Workers or 50% of the workforce, died from exposure to Silica at Gauley Bridge, West Virginia.

These events resulted in the passing of the Walsh-Healey Act, which stated the  requirement of Safety & Health measures for employers gaining Government (US) contracts’s

It was the American Match Co. that initially substituted a safer substance instead of Phosphorus in match making, and on the safety of workers, they allowed other companies to use it freely. It resulted in the decrease in an Occupational Illness known as Phossy Law, as it was caused due to exposure to Phosphorus and resulted in Swelling & Pain in the Jaws.

We should thank the Unions who ultimately thought of the safety of the workers and that led to the establishment of the Occupational Safety & Health Act of 1970.