The use of safety nets during the construction of the Golden Gate prevented 19 deaths

The Golden Gate is a suspension bridge located in the United States, California, that connects the San Francisco peninsula to the north with the south of Marin County.

It is one of the most famous inanimate protagonists of films that have San Francisco city as their setting. Furthermore, it is one of the pioneering constructions in the use of collective protection systems with safety nets.

Construction work began in January 1933, and was spearheaded by engineer Joseph Strauss. Strauss innovated in the use of safety nets below the construction site, saving the lives of 19 workers who, had it not been for the presence of the safety net, would have died.

Until 1937, the construction of the San Francisco Bridge had only cost one worker his life. However, a little before the work was finished, a scaffold fell on the safety net, collapsing it and causing a tragic end to a ten workers.

However, although any death in construction is something very tragic, we can say that due to the magnitude of the work and the intrinsic dangers of its construction, it is not a high number of victims. Reduced number of victims to which the use of the aforementioned security measures undoubtedly contributed.

The bridge was finally inaugurated on May 28th, 1937.