Factory and mine work in the past was extremely dangerous, with thousands dying each year from accidents. Workers faced long 16-hour shifts with low wages, and only one day off per week. Child labor was also common, with children performing hazardous jobs. Both factory and mine workers faced severe health risks from poor conditions, regularly suffering lung disease and losing limbs. Miners faced additional dangers from explosions and floods. Living conditions for workers and their families were terrible, with overcrowded housing lacking clean water or adequate sewerage.

1. Factory/Mine Worker
Working in the factory was very
dangerous. Thousands of people died
every year from workplace accidents. The
working day was extremely long; workers
often did 16 hour shifts. Wages were
extremely low and the only day off was
Sunday. There was no such thing as
holidays and there was no finance help for
those who couldn’t work. Child labour was
common as they had to work in order to
help the family. Children were used to
unblock machines in textile factories and
acted as trappers and hurriers in the
mines.
Workers in the textiles factories were
exposed to conditions that were very bad
for their health. People regularly lost limbs

2. while operating machines. This was
especially true of children. The workers in
the textile factories were not allowed to
open windows as it affected the thread.
They breathed in small particles of
material that were in the air. Many
workers suffered lung problems. Miners
also suffered bad lung conditions from
breathing in coal dust. Both sets of
workers often died from the conditions.
Working in the mines was particularly
dangerous. Miners regularly died from
flash floods and from explosions due to
the build up of gases. Gases were a
constant danger. In order to detect the
build up of the gases a canary would be
brought down into the mine. If dangerous
levels of gas were building up it would kill

3. the canary. This was a sign for the miners
to get out as quick as they could. Safety
lamps were also developedwhich were
less likely to cause a gas to explode.
The conditions the workers lived in were
terrible. Whole families lived in one room
apartments. There was no such thing as
running water or adequate sewerage
facilities. The buildings that the people
lived in were known as tenements. These
areas were like giant slums. The poor
sanitation facilities led to the outbreak of
diseases like smallpox, cholera and TB.
Sewerage was regularly dumped on the
streets and clean drinking water was rare.
Cities were a lot smaller then today and
were hugely overcrowded. Pollution from
factory fumes caused thick smog to exist

4. over industrial cities. This smog affected
people’s health. Those who could not find
work went to the workhouses where they
worked for basic food and shelter. The
death rate here was very high. The
chances of people escaping from poverty
were almost nonexistent as there was no
education for the working class.