The Dark Ages of Safety is a 22-minute online course that examines the history of workplace safety in the United States, exploring how past industrial tragedies and hazardous working conditions led to the creation of modern safety standards and OSHA regulations. It is designed for all employees as a safety awareness and culture-building tool and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.
Before OSHA was established in 1970, American workplaces were among the most dangerous in the industrialized world. An estimated 14,000 workers died on the job each year in the late 1960s, and millions more suffered serious injuries with little legal recourse. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911, which killed 146 garment workers, and the Gauley Bridge disaster of 1931, which killed an estimated 764 tunnel workers from silica exposure, are just two examples of the catastrophic events that eventually forced regulatory action. Understanding this history helps employees appreciate why safety rules exist.
This course takes your team through key milestones in workplace safety history, from the unregulated conditions of early industrialization through the labor movements, landmark legislation, and the founding of OSHA. By showing the human cost of unsafe workplaces, the training reinforces why every safety procedure, inspection, and piece of protective equipment matters. This course works well as a supplement to safety orientation programs or as a standalone awareness tool during safety stand-downs and awareness campaigns.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 created both OSHA and NIOSH, establishing the federal framework for workplace safety that exists today. Before the Act, workplace fatality rates were roughly double what they are now - approximately 14,000 workers died annually compared to approximately 5,500 in recent years. OSHA's General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1)) requires employers to maintain a workplace free from recognized hazards, and the agency enforces this through inspections that resulted in over $250 million in penalties in FY 2024. While no specific standard requires historical safety awareness training, OSHA strongly encourages safety culture initiatives, and many employers use historical context training to improve compliance and engagement during required annual refresher programs.
| Team Size | Price per Person |
|---|---|
| 1 - 9 | $24.95 |
| 10 - 24 | $19.95 |
| 25 - 49 | $17.95 |
| 50 - 99 | $17.50 |
Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.