Only Death Triggers Change: The Stark Rule of Safety Reforms

50% of hemophiliacs in the US contracted HIV in '80s; GM hid faulty ignition for 10 years, killing 124. Some examples of lack of safety culture in the US that I came across researching for my AI book.

Came across some eye-opening stories on Reddit's r/WritteninBlood that exemplify how it often takes a disaster for companies and the government to act on safety.

Electricity's Wild West: When electricity was new in homes, inventors, unrestrained by regulations, unleashed a frenzy of hazardous products, like an electrified tablecloth that shockingly allowed devices to be plugged directly into its uninsulated wiring. Needless to say, this led to electrocutions, fires, and deaths. It took these incidents to usher in electrical safety standards.

Blood Transfusion Crisis: In the 1980s, about half of the hemophiliacs received HIV from blood transfusions! Blood banks were slow to adopt HIV screening – some waiting to implement screenings until the federal government required it.

Radium Girls: The U.S. Radium Corporation's knew about radium's dangers, yet told their female workers, who hand-painted watch dials with radium, that it was safe, even suggesting they lick their brushes to keep the brush tips fine. The tragic result: many workers suffered severe radiation poisoning, i.e. lost jaws. The company tried to dismiss their illnesses as syphilis. This eventually led to significant changes in labor and safety laws.

GM's Ignition Scandal: GM's 2014 recall of 800k cars for faulty ignitions is a recent example. The defect caused cars to shut off while driving, disabling power steering, brakes, and airbags. 124 people died. GM knew about this since 2005 but brushed it off as 'too expensive' to fix.

It's a pattern: our system needs tragedies to happen before putting in preventive measures. We still see systemic failure to prioritize human life over cost and convenience. Proactive safety measures and ethical business practices need to be at the forefront of industry and regulatory agendas.