Working Conditions During The Industrial Revolution

The work conditions during the Industrial Revolution had an intense and often harmful effect on children who were forced to work. The main reason that factory owners employed children was because of their small size, so they could fit into small spaces and use their hands to unclog machines if they were jammed. Children were also cheap to employ, and they usually agreed to punishment, unlike the adults working. One of the most common jobs that children had to pursue was working in the textile industry for families, but the conditions were horrible, and the children suffered severe health issues and were abused constantly with punishments. Children often weren’t supplied with sufficient uniforms and protection for the jobs that they were assigned
One of these deformities is called ‘knock-knees’. This is when your knees become so weak that they begin to turn inwards. Usually, this is a result of the children standing for long periods of time. According to Dr. Samuel Smith, children’s bones are very brittle between the ages of 12 and 13, and they can bend easily, especially when under pressure. Due to this, children working often had the arch of their foot and knees bent so badly that sometimes they would lose up to 12 inches of height. Death and hospitalization were also frequently seen; one hospital reported that every year it treated about 1000 children for wounds and injuries caused by the machines in factories. Another major impact that work had on children was their lack of education due to the amount of time they were working every day. Children often worked 12–16 hours, from when they woke up until they slept. They had a basic act named the 1833 Factory Act, which included that children aged 9–13 work no more than nine hours a day, and 13–18 work no more than twelve hours a