Given the dangers inherent in the railroad industry, it’s no surprise the slogan “Safety First” has a long history with railroading, appearing on posters, signs, and other safety materials — and even turntable bridges like this one in the western Nebraska community of Chadron.
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the first recorded use of the words as a workplace accident-prevention reminder was in 1873. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries workplace accidents were common and the consequences often severe. In response, safety regulations and protocols began to emerge, emphasizing the importance of workers remaining alert to danger. The slogan “Safety First” emerged from this movement. Much has changed in railroading, but safety is still a deadly serious business.
In an odd postscript, a website notes there were two men living in the same retirement village in Seal Beach, Calif. in the 1970s, one named “Safety First” and the other “North Western.” Mr. Safety First’s family name was First and, he said, his parents, “liked the idea of safety.” In the case of Mr. North Western, he received his name because both Western and North were longstanding family names. Still, he added, he sometimes needed to explain his name when he used to commute in the Chicago area aboard the Chicago & North Western Ry.
