Women stepped in to keep U.S. factories producing when men left their jobs to fight in World War II and the Rosie the Riveter icon was born.

The movement to get women into the factories created a need for new safety training films. Fortunately for us the film clips were preserved.

Last week Workers' Comp Insider, a blog produced by Lynch Ryan, posted several of those vintage videos. One is below, but more are available on Workers' Comp Insider.

The videos offer an entertaining look at issues of the day, such as factory-floor fashion and the need for women to give up their Veronica Lake hairdos for hair wrapped in bandanas. Male supervisors also needed training on how to manage their new workers.

The videos have a patronizing tone you wouldn't find today.

But even though times have changed, some gender differences remain in safety. For instance, personal protection equipment in some industries doesn't always fit women. And women suffer more musculoskeletal disorders than men.

On another subject, California is facing some of its own safety challenges caused by its now infamous budget problems and difficulty funding services, including some that impact work comp. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, for example, is reportedly proposing $19 million in new employer assessments to help fund the Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Also, the Los Angles Times reported Friday that authorities served search warrants on several former California State Compensation Insurance Fund officials.

The warrants appear related to a probe into misconduct at SCIF that Business Insurance reported on two years ago.