People have been injured while working since the beginning of time. While the amount of work done increased greatly, more disastrous outcomes arose along with those efficiencies with the dawn of the industrial revolution. The changes to the way many tasks were accomplished left an impression for years to come.

One of the worst industrial accidents the Pittsburgh area has seen occurred 150 years ago, during the Civil War. It was an explosion that took place at the U.S. Arsenal in Lawrenceville which led to the death of 78 people, many women and girls, who were working at the arsenal. Despite a couple of investigations shortly after the deadly accident which occurred on Sept. 17, 1862 and all of the new investigative techniques available currently, just what led to the explosion is still not known.

There are of course theories as to what happened including:

• Sabotage on the part of Confederate soldiers
• Employees not being careful enough in the handling of gunpowder
• Steel or iron sparking a fire when a horse shoe or wagon wheel struck stones in the road.

A more recent theory is that static electricity due to the hoop skirts the female workers wore at the time created a spark that led to the explosion.

In addition to those who died in the blast there were likely many others who were injured. Unlike today, at that time employers were not required to provide benefits to their injured workers. Workers who were unable to work didn't and other able bodied individuals were hired to take their place.

Fortunately, most workers who are injured on the job today can seek workers' compensation benefits. Though these benefits are not handed away freely and can at times be difficult to secure, they nonetheless do exist. Workers' compensation attorneys may be able to help those struggling to obtain the benefits in their quest.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "After 150 years, cause of Allegheny Arsenal explosion may never be known," Frank Reeves, Sept. 16, 2012