Triangle Shirtwaist Factory: Lessons from Tragedy

On a fateful day on March 25th, 1911, hundreds of lives were lost and a new age of building regulation was born.  On the eighth floor of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City fire took hold and quickly spread to the top three floors of the 10-story building.  The workers, mostly women under the age of eighteen, were trapped, as the exits were too inadequate to provide a safe exit from the building.  Some escaped one by one through the only narrow exit provided, others jumped to their death. 

 

Without alarms, and unable to use a fire escape that had fallen from the side of the building, 143 people perished in the worst workplace disaster in Ney York City's history until 9-11.  We owe the huge sacrifice of these hard working women and this infamous tragedy to the development of the Fire Code Laws that are in place across the United States to this very day. 

 

Interior Designers, by definition, follow this same fire code, provided by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) to provide all building occupants a safe exit in case of fire or other disaster.  It is Interior Designers who plan for the worst case scenarios enabling clear paths of egress, smoke and fire alarms, exit signage, and ensuring exits are provided no matter where building occupants may be within a building.  Interior designers do not just pick pretty finishes for chairs and window treatments, but also make sure these products and assemblies have been appropriately rated for their flammability.  Interior Designers also specify the type of walls and enclosures needed to keep exit areas safe, whether that be through fire-rated walls, corridors, and self-closing doors. 

 

Today, all buildings must adhere to strict federal, state, and local building codes ensuring safety to those inside.  The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is a sad example of what can happen when these requirements are overlooked.  Contact an Interior Designer for assistance in designing your building properly and safely, and do not forget the sacrifice other Americans have made to enable our way of life today.