This was one of the first cases in which an employer was held responsible for the health of its employees. It led to the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1971, which over time, has reduced worker deaths by approximately 10,000 per year.
"If the radium girls hadn't made their case so iconic, so demanding of attention from people, I'm sure, they wouldn’t have put safety standards in place for the Manhattan project. Because of the radium girls, they were happy for the safety standards to be in place, and they insisted that workers did follow them. I presume the workers themselves, they were probably aware of the potential dangers because of the girls and therefore did follow the procedures."
One of the long term impacts of the radium girls was the change of labor laws in New Jersey. After the lawsuit was big in the news radium was no longer viewed as a miracle substance.
A newspaper explaining how dangerous radium is. [Wikimedia].
After Donohue’s successful case, multiple laws were created allowing for state inspections of possible violations, companies had to comply with occupational safety and health standards, and inform employees of the hazards of working with radium, including the risk of serious injury, physical harm, or death.
"34:6A-33. Responsibilities of employers
Every employer shall:
a. Provide each of his employees with employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards which may cause serious injury, physical harm or death to his employees; and
b. Comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this act.
34:6A-35. Inspections; compliance
c. If either commissioner concludes that conditions or practices in violation of any provision of this act under his jurisdiction exist in any workplace, he shall inform the affected employees and employers of the danger.
The 1938 Food Drug and Cosmetic Act outlawed deceptive packaging that marketed products with radium.
12:122-3.1 Right to enter and inspect
(a) The Compliance Officer shall enter without delay and at reasonable times any establishment or field site of any employer where work is performed by an employee if there is reason to believe that a violation of this chapter has occurred or is occurring and to conduct such investigations as the Compliance Officer shall deem to be necessary.
(b) Employers shall permit the Compliance Officer to inspect within the establishment or field site all pertinent conditions, structures, machines, apparatus, devices, equipment and materials.
On December 28, Surgeon General Hugh Cummings calls a conference to investigate existing conditions and to recommend ways to protect workers
On October 27, Grace Fryer dies at the age of 34
The 1938 Food Drug and Cosmetic Act was passed, outlawing deceptive packaging that marketed products with radium."