What unsafe and unhealthy conditions did workers face in tenement cellar bakeries?

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many New York City bakeries operated in tenement cellars that were never intended for commercial use. Workers in these environments faced numerous unsafe and unhealthy conditions:

• Sanitation Issues: Facilities such as sinks, baths, and toilets drained into cellar sewer pipes that frequently leaked and produced foul odors, which were intensified by the heat of the ovens.
• Poor Infrastructure: Ceilings were often as low as five and a half feet, forcing workers to stoop. Floors were made of wood, dirt, or concrete, and there were few windows, resulting in very little natural light.
• Environmental Hazards: The lack of adequate ventilation prevented the escape of flour dust and fumes. Workers endured extreme heat in the summer, while in the winter, the ovens were often insufficient to keep the spaces warm.
• Overwork: These conditions were exacerbated by grueling schedules; in 1895, the typical bakery worker labored 74 hours a week, with many working even longer hours in these filthy environments.1