Changes in work place safety since the 1900's - Term Paper Example

information prior to 1880s.Amesricans modified the route to industrialization in order to fit their geographical and economic needs, they encouraged labor and time saving machines and procedures. Employers made such developments under legal and regulatory system that rooted out employer’s interest in workplace safety. Therefore, Americans developed highly profitable production methods that were dangerous very often (Aldrich, 2001). Aldrich (2001) reveals that work safety has long been compromised due to the fact that accidents were cheap in American, employers could afford to risk employees.

When heirs of injured or killed employee sue employers for compensation, it was too hard to get it. Employer could prove that it was worker’s own fault, some other worker’s fault or the worker has assumed the risk. Usually courts dismiss such cases and deny liability. Several surveys about 1900 work safety revealed that only about half of all workers recover from fatal injures while their compensation only amounted to only half a year’s pay. Employers didn’t have to pay much for accidents, therefore Americans industrial methods were not developed enough to take care of safety.

According to Fisk (2003) when it comes to comparing American workforce at the beginning and ending of the century, changes are quite frequent, some of these changes are very dramatic and well-known while some are just the opposite. In some cases, statistical data is not sufficient for making quantitative comparisons but discernible in most of the cases. During 20th century, total size of workforce increased approximately six times. US Bureau of the Census reports that the workers who are 10 years of age and above were registered and reported to have a rewarding occupation was 24 million in 1900(part 1,p.127) while according to Employment and Earnings (2000, p.10) it became 139 million in 1999 for 16 years and above (cited in Fisk, 2003).

Fisk (2003) further explains that it is not just a