'Fireman's Davy' miner's safety lamp, 1875

'Fireman's Davy' miner's safety lamp, probably made by Joseph Cooke & Co, Birmingham c. 1875.

The role of 'Fireman' derives from the occupation of managing fire in furnaces although in coal mines it was setting fire to the explosive gases – firedamp – a mixture of methane with the right amount of air (i.e. oxygen). Firedamp is lighter than air and, unless disturbed by ventilation currents, tends to collect in pockets near the roof. The preferred method to test for it was using a Davy lamp and look for changes to the flame. However, the flame is near the base of the lamp making it difficult to test close to the roof. Y2002.19.36.5 is smaller than a typical Davy lamp and has a flattened top to get as close to the roof as possible.