Workplace Health and Safety History from US Bureau of Mines Educational Films from 1912-1979

This presentation will describe a largely untapped resource of material on the history of workplace health and safety in the United States – the more than 200 educational industrial films sponsored by the US Bureau of Mines from 1912 to 1979.   The use of these films in education and training and in advocacy for improved health and safety today will also be demonstrated and discussed.  Many of the films have been digitized and are available online.  While centered on metal and non-metal mining, including the oil industry, these films cover other worksites, including the manufacture of automobiles, steel, aluminum, gasoline, rubber, asbestos and insulation products and dynamite.  In addition, films cover industrial processes, such as welding; hazards, including carbon monoxide and radon; and ventilation and respirators.  Some films focus on worker health and safety, first aid or mine disaster response.  However, the majority of these films were designed to showcase American industry domestically, to workers and the public, and to audiences abroad.  Most were produced and paid for by large corporations (such as Johns-Manville, US Steel, and Phelps-Dodge) and reviewed and distributed by the Bureau of Mines.  While presenting a corporate view of production and either ignoring many health and safety hazards or blaming worker carelessness for accidents, these films present an interesting look into the past.  When viewed through our current knowledge of the history of workplace health and safety, these films can provide a valuable look into the past which can help to inform this work today.