Matt VignolaMs. Sassaman History of the United States I March 17, 2014 Changes in the Work Environment Caused by the Triangle Fire In 1901, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory opened on the 8th floor of the Asch Building in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan. In 1908, the company also occupied the 9th and 10th floors; however, owners Max Blanck and Isaac Harris were known for ignoring fire and safety standards (The Triangle Factory Fire; von Drehle). There was a distinct lack of fire safety regulations, both for the physical conditions of the factory and those of the workforce, and those that were in place were mostly ignored ("fire of the factory"). Triangle Shirtwaist Company). Failure to comply with these regulations led to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which resulted in the deaths of 146 employees on March 25, 1911 (Marrin 1). This tragedy brought many necessary changes to fire safety rules and regulations regarding the American workplace. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire sparked multiple calls for improved safety conditions in the Gilded Age workplace, leading to lasting improvements in working conditions in the United States. At the beginning of the 20th century, not much thought was given to fire safety and standards. in the workplace, particularly in industrial factories. Additionally, employees in these work environments were given little consideration. From the beginning of the Gilded Age until the turn of the century, approximately 12 million immigrants, most from Europe, came to America. Over the next decade, as many as 9 million more people immigrated to the United States. The majority of these people passed through Ellis Island, New York (Marrin 4...... middle of document ......r Labor Standards Act, which establishes regulations on minimum wage and working hours as well as child labor laws (“Workplace Safety: You Need to Know”) Although it was a tragic event, some argue that the fire was a necessary evil due to all the circumstances. changes he made. The fire highlighted the fact that factory workers could form unions and fight against the oppression they faced in the workplace. of women's garment workers, David Dubinsky, said: "They are our martyrs because what we could not accomplish by reasoning with the bosses, by begging them, by talking with the bosses, they accomplished. with their deaths”, during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the fire (The Triangle Factory Fire). In conclusion, the fire left a legacy that has been and will be felt in every workplace across the United States. for years to come.