Miner's safety lamp
Lámpara de seguridad para minas
- Date
- 1815 · confidence high
- Place
- London (Royal Institution); tests at Hebburn, Tyneside, United Kingdom
- Credited to
- Humphry Davy (and George Stephenson, the 'Geordie lamp', independently)
- People
- 👤 Humphry Davy1778–1829
- Field
- Tools
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A flame lamp surrounded by a metal gauze that dissipated heat and prevented it from igniting firedamp. It allowed deep, gassy seams to be worked, although in practice it increased accidents by encouraging mining in more dangerous areas.
Stephenson presented his lamp in Newcastle at almost the same time (1815); Davy received official recognition and did not patent his.
What it led to
- Deep coal mining and increased output
- Debate over engineers' responsibility (more deaths from overconfidence)
- Mine inspection (1850) and safety legislation
- Mechanical mine ventilation
Built on
- Combustion chemistry
- Clanny lamp (1813)
- Felling explosions (1812)
Made possible
- Clanny and Marsaut lamps
- Firedamp detectors
- Mine ventilation fans