What were the rules for the children of Victorian Britain's cole mines?

Children working in Victorian Britain’s coal mines faced harsh and dangerous conditions. They often started working as young as five or six years old, enduring long hours, typically 12 to 14 hours a day, in dark, cramped spaces. The rules governing their employment were minimal and poorly enforced; many children worked without safety gear or adequate ventilation, exposing them to health risks and physical harm. By the late 19th century, growing public concern led to some reforms, including the Mines Act of 1842, which prohibited the employment of women and boys under ten in mines.