Danger Below: Firedamp, Floods and the Safety Lamp

As demand for coal rose, mines went deeper and became more dangerous. Miners faced floods, roof falls, suffocating 'chokedamp' and explosive methane gas, called 'firedamp', which could be ignited by the naked candle flames miners used for light. In 1812 an explosion at Felling Colliery near Gateshead killed 92 men and boys, prompting a search for a safer light.

In 1815 Humphry Davy designed a lamp in which a fine wire gauze surrounded the flame, preventing it from igniting gas outside; George Stephenson independently produced a similar lamp the same year. The lamps saved lives, but some historians argue they also allowed owners to open more dangerous seams, so explosions continued. Safety in mines improved slowly through inspection, ventilation and later legislation, showing that technology alone rarely solves social problems.