The paper describes the main stages in the development of legislation on the protection of production workers' health in countries of Western Europe and Russia in the 19th to early 20th centuries. The working conditions of the workers are revealed, including those of women and children. The legislation introduced aimed at protecting the health of factory and plant workers is discussed, and the role of doctors in the formation of factory legislation is refl ected upon, as are its main defi ciencies during the period.