QQ.1. How has the historical evolution of workplace safety practices influenced modern safety regulations in industries today, and what lessons can we learn from past incidents to improve current safety standards?
- Early safety was laissez-faire, workers bore risks, focus on compensatory justice.
- Industrial accidents prompted basic Factory Acts and employer safety obligations.
- Triangle Fire (1911) catalysed modern fire safety and emergency exit regulations.
- Mid-20th century saw shift to engineering controls and technical safety standards.
Answer: The historical evolution of workplace safety practices has profoundly shaped modern safety regulations, transforming them from rudimentary, reactive measures to comprehensive, proactive systems. Early industrial eras, particularly during the `laissez-faire` period, largely placed the burden of risk on individual workers, with any employer responsibility often limited to `compensatory justice` after an incident, as detailed in the MIS-021 course material on safety philosophy. This early approac...