At the time, the expected fatality rate among construction workers on large projects was roughly one for every $1 million spent. But Joseph Strauss insisted that workers wear hard hats – it was the first American construction site to make this a requirement – and installed an innovative safety net (pictured) below the bridge.

The project claimed significantly fewer lives than average, and 19 men were saved from death by the net. Known as the 'Halfway to Hell Club,' they became local celebrities. A total of 11 laborers died – 10 in a single incident on February 17, 1937 when 10 tons of timber fell through the net, taking the 10 men down too.

The fascinating history of the Golden Gate Bridge