Yes, it was a great invention. The first trial of a Davy lamp with a wire sieve was at Hebburn Colliery on 9 January 1816.
There was some controversy, since George Stephenson also produced a similar safety lamp in 1816 which was generally called the Stephenson, except within the North East coalfields where it was called the "Geordie lamp".
Supporters of each man seem to have regarded the other as having plagiarised their man's idea.
The Geordie lamp had a glass inside the tubular gauze with a copper cap; the air was fed from below.
The Davy lamp was simpler and cheaper, and was popular with mine owners
However, the lamp used for the Olympic Flame relay , is a modified Protector Garforth GR6S flame safety lamp which is used for firedamp testing in all UK coal mines.
