How Far did living standards in Britain rise due to industrialisation? How far did living standards rise? There are debates to weather living standards were better before, with the domestic system, or after, with the new factory system. Which social class benefited the most? What were the consequences to the bad conditions of housing? The different working standards went up and down, from the domestic system which was said to be "ÃÂa golden age', to trying to raise the production of goods, with the factory system. At first the factory system was terrible, bad conditions were causing illness and sometimes due to awful treatment, some even became deformed. Children as young as 7 or 8 were made to work in factories, and if caught slacking would be whipped and beaten.
Then the factory acts gradually came in, which laid down laws against these conditions. Here are some of the laws made in 1833: Children under 9 weren't allowed to work, children 9 to 13 were only allowed to work up to 9 hours a day and children 14 to 18 could only work up to 12 hours a day.
Deutsch: Living Standards during Industrial Revolu...
Deutsch: Living Standards during Industrial Revolu...
FactoryChildren under 13 had to attend school for 2 hours a day. 4 inspectors were to check on this regularly. The rules improved in 1844, so that children aged 8 and above were now allowed to work, children 8 to 13 were allowed only 6 and a half hours a day, children 14 to 18 and women, could only work a 12 hour day. Mill owners were made to put safety fences around all dangerous equipment.
Gradually factory owners of mills, mines, and manufactures began to realise that workers could produce more work in shorter hours, because due to tiredness in long hour days, their last two hours of work were...