Explosions and fires are two of the most destructive forces that can be unleashed in a workplace. They have been responsible for some of the worst workplace accidents to take place in modern history. A combination of high-risk occupations, such as mining, construction, or oil and gas operations, plus a lack of appropriate safety measures have resulted in workplace tragedies that have taken many lives and left many more seriously injured.
The cost of these losses is about more than just money. Whole communities can be affected, loved ones are torn from families, and too many lives are abruptly changed forever. Let’s review the worst workplace accidents in history.
Ten of the Worst Workplace Accidents in US History
Following are ten horrific workplace accidents that happened between the mid-19th Century and the end of the 20th Century. Though safety standards for workers have improved significantly through the years, many workers still face serious risks in the workplace.
January 10, 1860 – Pemberton Mill Collapse
The Pemberton Mill in Massachusetts was a 5-story factory building with 800 millworkers – many women and children. One night in January 1860, the building’s walls buckled and collapsed, sending heavy equipment, people, and rubble crashing to the ground. Between 90 and 145 people died, and another 166 were injured.
The building’s architect was held responsible for the collapse because a jury found the building was too weak to support the weight of the equipment inside. It was also noted that the building owners may have overloaded the mill’s support capacity with too much heavy machinery. In the end, no one was legally punished for the tragedy.
May 25, 1865 – Mobile Federal Ammunition Warehouse Explosion
When the former cotton warehouse in Mobile, Alabama, blew up, it contained more than 200 tons of ammunition. Everything near the warehouse was immediately destroyed, along with four or five city blocks. Approximately 300 people are thought to have died, but the true number is unknown.
No official cause was ever determined, though the investigating committee did cite “gross carelessness” in describing how the ammunition was handled on the day of the explosion.
December 6, 1907 – Monongah Mining Disaster
Close to 400 men died when an explosion destroyed two mines of the Fairmont Coal Company in West Virginia. At the time of the explosion, the mines had been recently inspected with no problems found.
The exact cause of the explosion is unknown, but it was suspected that a ‘blown-out shot’ or some other source had ignited coal dust. Fairmont was absolved of any wrongdoing.
March 25, 1911 – Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
In late March of 1911, a fire broke out on the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory in lower Manhattan. Cramped working quarters, locked doors, and a single fire escape that collapsed during rescue efforts trapped workers in the burning building. Many of the 146 people who died were young immigrant women.
Investigators determined the fire had started with a careless match. The preventable tragedy exposed serious safety violations by the building owners, who were found responsible but were fined very little for the lost lives. The disaster is credited with starting the labor movement.
October 4, 1918 – TA Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant Explosion
A munitions factory in Morgan, New Jersey, the Gillespie plant stood on 2,200 acres and was comprised of 700 buildings. The explosion occurred in building 6-1-1, starting a huge fire and several explosions. Firefighting efforts were hampered, and it took days before the explosions stopped and the fire was put out.
Almost half of the buildings were destroyed, along with 12 million pounds of explosives and 300,000 loaded shells. Around 100 people died on the grounds of the plant. The army investigated but an official cause of the explosion was not found.
July 17, 1944 – Port Chicago Disaster
There was no official cause listed for the initial explosion that occurred on a ship being loaded with ammunition at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California. The blast killed 320 people – the majority of whom were African-American Navy personnel subjected to the Navy’s segregationist policies.
The common theory is that unsafe handling procedures and inadequate training contributed to the cause of the explosion. One fortunate consequence of the disaster was that it put a spotlight on the military’s racial inequalities at the time. Just over one year later, President Truman signed an executive order mandating desegregation in the military.
April 16, 1947 – Texas City Fertilizer Explosion
The vessel SS Grandcamp had been sitting at the Texas City dock for five days while workers loaded it with ammonium nitrate fertilizer. On the morning of the explosion, a fire of unknown origin had started near the ship’s hull. The city’s fire chief and 27 firefighters were fighting the blaze onboard when the explosion occurred, flattening all surrounding buildings and killing hundreds of people in the area.
The blast was so intense it shattered windows 40 miles north of Houston and was felt 250 miles east of Louisiana. Considered the nation’s deadliest industrial accident, it is estimated between 500 and 600 people lost their lives, and thousands more were injured.
The U.S. Supreme Court found the U.S. Government not liable in a class action lawsuit, but federal legislation created a disaster relief fund that compensated victims.
August 9, 1965 – Titan II Missile Silo Fire
Still considered the largest loss of life at a U.S. nuclear weapons facility, the accident at a launch complex near Searcy, Arkansas, cost 53 civilian construction workers their lives when a fire started below where they were working. The fire quickly consumed all of the available oxygen in the silo, and 52 of the victims asphyxiated before they could get to the emergency escape ladder.
Investigators determined the fire started when a welder working on a lower level accidentally hit a hydraulic line. Their report also cited inadequate ventilation and lack of available exits as factors contributing to the massive loss of life.
April 27, 1978 – Willow Island Cooling Tower Collapse
A power station cooling tower under construction in West Virginia collapsed when concrete poured the previous day failed to support scaffolding, sending 51 construction workers falling to their deaths.
An investigation by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) determined a number of safety violations, including failure to allow the concrete to cure properly and anchor the scaffolding sufficiently.
July 6, 1988 – Piper Alpha Disaster
The Piper Alpha was an oil platform located in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland. On the night of the explosion, a miscommunication between shift changes failed to notify the workers that a safety valve had been removed from a certain pump and the pump was not to be used. When the pump was switched on, gas began leaking out at high pressure, and before anything could be done, the gas ignited and exploded, killing 167 workers.
At the time of the disaster, it was operated by Occidental Petroleum, an American company headquartered in Houston. It would come out later that many safety procedures were either ignored or inadequate.
September 3, 1991 – Hamlet Chicken Processing Plant Fire
In the fall of 1991, an inadequately repaired hydraulic oil feed line at the Hamlet Chicken Processing Plant caused a deep fat fryer to spontaneously combust. The fire spread rapidly and produced a lot of smoke. Panicked workers headed for exits only to find they were locked in – management’s attempt to control flies and eliminate theft. Of the 90 employees on site, 25 died mostly of smoke inhalation, and 54 were injured.
The North Carolina processing plant had a poor safety record, yet despite three previous fires at the plant, there had never been a safety inspection. The facility had no fire alarm and no sprinkler system. The plant was heavily fined for safety violations and never reopened. The owner faced criminal charges and served time in prison.
Texas Workplace Accident Statistics
In 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recorded 578 fatal occupational injuries in Texas – more than any other U.S. state. Men made up 92% of those who were killed on the job. The majority of fatal work injuries tend to occur in higher-risk occupations such as construction, oil and gas extraction, transportation, and warehousing.
Transportation and warehouse jobs are also responsible for the most non-fatal work-related injuries. Private Texas employers reported 178,800 employee injuries in 2022.
Where to Get Help for a Work Injury in Houston
Employers in Texas must provide a reasonably safe work environment. When employers fail to ensure adequate workplace safety, they can be held liable for any injuries that occur. When you suffer a work injury, it’s important to speak with an attorney who can interpret the laws that apply to your industry, workplace, and type of employment
The Houston work accident lawyers at The Krist Law Firm, P.C. have nearly 30 years of experience representing injured workers and helping them collect the compensation that will allow them to get back on their feet and move forward with their lives. Schedule a free consultation and learn how we can help you recover financially after being injured at work.