At the beginning of the 19th century methods of coal extraction reached its peak. With most energy coming from burning coal, coal mines quickly became a common workplace. Thousands of people were drawn off the land and from factories into the coal mines. Many men, women, and children worked long, tedious hours in dangerous conditions. Until the 1840s, children as young as five worked down in the mines for up to 12 hours. With conditions under par, accidents were bound to happen.