Our Inspiration: The Radium Girls
At RADIUM, our name is more than just a reference to an element – it’s a tribute to a significant chapter in history that continues to inspire our mission today.
In the 1910s and 1920s, factories across the U.S. began to paint radium-based “glow-in-the-dark” watch faces, aeronautical gauges, and other devices. While these companies also served civilian markets, much of the demand came from the U.S. Military. At the time, it was crucial for soldiers and pilots to read time and instruments in the dark without using an external light source that could give away their position.
The general public considered radium a “miracle” element. Radium was discovered in 1898 by Marie and Pierre Curie and was used in a wide range of applications, such as:
- Medical Treatments (cancer, arthritis, tuberculosis, etc.)
- Consumer Products (tooth paste, cosmetics, etc.)
- Industrial and scientific uses (military instruments, submarine controls, air craft gauges, etc.)
Various companies produced radium-based paint to support the industrial and scientific market and employed the women we now refer to as the Radium Girls.
The Radium Girls were a group of factory workers who became iconic due to their glowing skin and clothes from the radium dust they were exposed to while mixing their paint. Many women saw this as a health and beauty benefit, along with the competitive salary at the time. The women were instructed to “lip-point” their brushes to get clean and precise lines, thereby also ingesting the substance.
Chicago Daily Times / Sun-Times Media | The bedside hearing at Catherine Donohue’s home.
Many of the Radium Girl began to develop severe illnesses, including bone fractures, anemia, and necrosis of the jaw (“radium jaw”). When the women approached and questioned their employers regarding their health issues, many of the companies denied, dismissed and covered up the dangers of radiation exposure.
Companies initially insisted that radium was safe and had health benefits. Later, they changed tactics to blame the workers for their own illnesses, suggesting they had syphilis or other unrelated diseases. Some went as far as altering the findings of scientists engaged to investigate the working conditions, and kept the true findings a secret for years.
In 1927, five women finally sued the United Stated Radium Corporation (USRC), leading to a highly publicized court case. By this time, the women were so sick they could barely raise their hands to swear their oaths in court. Some of the surviving women received settlements, but they were far from sufficient considering the severity of their illness. Many victims died shortly after the settlement.
While the victims may not have lived long enough to see their full impact, their case changed labor laws in the U.S. forever. The legacy of the Radium Girls cannot be understated. They became a driving force behind the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and were pivotal in helping to establish regulations that protect employees today.
At RADIUM, we hope to honor their legacy and support companies in their objective and obligation to provide each of their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.
We owe a debt of gratitude to those who came before us and fought for the rights we have today. The Radium Girls are one example of this, but there are many more. At the heart of it, our responsibility is clear: every worker deserves to go home as safe and healthy as they were when they arrived. No matter the person or the industry – workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility
Join Us in Honoring Comprehensive
Their Legacy
At RADIUM, we are dedicated to protecting your most valuable asset – your people. Contact us today to learn how we can help build a safer, compliant, and sustainable future for your workforce.
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