- Small Size: Children's small size allowed them to fit into narrow chimneys and navigate tight spaces, facilitating their ability to clean chimneys efficiently.
- Affordable Labor: Children were considerably less expensive to employ compared to adults, enabling employers to maximize profits while minimizing labor costs.
- Availability: With many impoverished households, children were forced into work to provide additional income for their families, making them a readily available workforce for labor-intensive tasks like chimney sweeping.
- Lack of Regulations: During Victorian times, there were inadequate labor regulations and enforcement to protect children from hazardous work conditions. This allowed employers to exploit children without legal consequences.
- Exploitation: Many children experienced physical and emotional abuse, with masters often treating them harshly and subjecting them to dangerous working conditions.