Safety Reforms

By. Hannah Pettersson, Nathan Narvaez, & Erin Turnley

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Sinclair went undercover as research
Originally wanted to focus on the poor working conditions
Public was impacted more by meatpacking knowledge
I aimed at the publics hearty, and by accident I hit the stomach.
Upton Sinclair, on The Jungle
Brought awareness to the poor conditions meat was packaged
under
Information in the book brought about the Pure Food and Drug
Act and the Meat Inspection Act

Pure Food and Drug Act

The first of a series of significant consumer protection laws by the
government which led to creation of the food and drug
administration.
An act for preventing the sale, manufacturing, and transportation of
adulterated, poisonous, misbranded food, drugs, and medicine
products.
Its the reason why we have ingredients on the back of packaging and
drug packaging

Meat Inspection Act

This act worked to prevent misbranded meats and meat products from being sold as
food
Was to ensure that meat and meat products are slaughtered and processed under
sanitary conditions.
Before this law was passed, the only meat being somewhat properly inspected was meat
coming from european countries. It was mainly to assure European nations from banning
pork trade, this was strongly motivated to protect the American diet.

Harrison Narcotics Tax Act

Law that regulated and taxed the production, importation, and
distribution of opiates and coca products. Although it was illegal for
distribution and use of cocaine, it was still legal to sell and use by
companies.
"An Act To provide for the registration of, with collectors of internal revenue, and to
impose a special tax on all persons who produce, import, manufacture, compound,
deal in, dispense, sell, distribute, or give away opium or coca leaves, their salts,
derivatives, or preparations, and for other purposes."

The New York Tenement House Act

New York Tenement Law was one of the first laws to ban the
construction of dark, poorly ventilated tenement buildings in New
York.
It required that buildings be built with outward facing windows in
every room, an open courtyard, proper ventilation systems, indoor
toilets, and fire safeguards.
But this law kind of backfired, because the air in the courtyards would
run throughout the room. Flowing through the ventilation spreading
diseases and other illnesses.

The Impact of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Accident
March 25, 1911. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory burned down and killed
145 workers
Workers had long hours with unsanitary conditions
Building had HORRIBLE exit plans
only one of four elevators worked
only two stair cases
very narrow fire escapes

Blank and Harris would sometimes start fires on purpose

NO sprinkler systems or safety precautions

work cited
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Food_and_Drug_Act
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Narcotics_Tax_Act
http://www.history.com/topics/triangle-shirtwaist-fire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire#Consequences_and_legacy