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On November 13, 1909, 259 coal miners were killed in a mining disaster in Cherry, IL. This catastrophic event, 100 years ago, led to improved safety regulations and the modern Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act. The Chicago Tribune ran this story on the Centennial Anniversary. More information on the disaster can be found at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library website, and on Wikipedia.
An explosion at the Mueller Copper Tube Facility in Fulton , Mississippi on July 30, 2009, resulted in a fatality. It was third fatality at the plant since 2008.
Mueller Industries has a history of safety violations.
Development of the Las Vegas Strip resulted in safety regulations becoming a secondary concern. Lax enforcement of safety regulations at construction sites in Las Vegas led to 12 workers deaths in 18 months. Alexandra Berzon reported on the circumstances surrounding these tragedies. Her reporting led to increased enforcement by safety agencies and no worker deaths since June 2008. For her reporting at the Las Vegas Sun, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
You can read the entire series here.