Learning factory hours full#
The air was full of dust, which led to chest and lung diseases and loud noise made by machines damaged workers' hearing. Going straight out into the cold night air led to many cases of pneumonia. Health - cotton thread had to be spun in damp, warm conditions.Up to 40 per cent of accident cases at Manchester Infirmary in 1833 were factory accidents. Accidents - forcing children to crawl into dangerous, unguarded machinery led to many accidents.Some employers demanded that their overseers raise a minimum amount each week from fines. It was claimed that employers altered the time on the clocks to make their workers late so that they could fine them. Fierce systems of fines - these were imposed for talking or whistling, leaving the room without permission, or having a little dirt on a machine.Other punishments included hanging iron weights around children's necks, hanging them from the roof in baskets, nailing children's ears to the table, and dowsing them in water butts to keep them awake. Cruel discipline - there was frequent strapping (hitting with a leather strap).Many men were sacked when they reached adulthood then they had to be supported by their wives and children. For this reason, employers preferred to employ women and children.
Low wages - a typical wage for male workers was about 15 shillings (75p) a week, but women and children were paid much less, with women earning seven shillings (35p) and children three shillings (15p).Workers were often required to clean their machines during their mealtimes. Long working hours - normal shifts were usually 12-14 hours a day, with extra time required during busy periods.
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