In this article we examine the nature of legal order in two work settings, both of which are located in a dangerous environment. It is our contention that the weight of law resides with those rules whose observance is considered crucial to group survival, and that the manner of their enforcement will reflect the level of solidarity characteristic of the work organization. In order to better explain the nature of integration and social control in these milieux, we have applied, to the micro-structural level, a revised version of Emile Durkheim's notions regarding penal evolution.