Safe foundry practice

A remarkable time capsule of industrial danger and the dawn of workplace safety consciousness, this manual from Travelers Insurance Companies documents the hazards faced by foundry workers in the early twentieth century. Molten metal at temperatures exceeding two thousand degrees Fahrenheit, moving machinery, toxic fumes, and the ever-present risk of catastrophic explosion populate these pages. Yet what emerges is not merely a technical document but a portrait of labor at its most visceral: men whose daily commute ended at the furnace's edge, where a single moment of inattention could prove fatal. The text offers practical guidance on everything from proper ladle handling to ventilation systems, interleaved with accident case studies that read like industrial tragedies. For readers interested in labor history, the evolution of workplace regulations, or simply the forgotten dangers that built the modern world, this volume provides invaluable insight into an industry that shaped cities and empires while consuming its workers.