United States Radium Corporation

The United States Radium Corporation was a company in the early 20th century that produced luminous paint containing radium, used to make watch dials glow in the dark. Workers, mostly women, applied the radioactive paint using fine brushes, often licking their brushes to sharpen them. This exposure to radium’s radioactive elements caused serious health issues, including radiation sickness and death. The company’s unsafe practices and the resulting tragedies raised awareness about occupational health hazards and led to stricter regulations on radioactive materials and workplace safety.