If there was one key element to take away from today’s DAME Awards, it is that genuine innovation can be large or small, expensive or inexpensive, with either category carrying equal weighting and merit. In a break from tradition, on what is the 25th anniversary of the DAME Awards, there were two winners.

The first DAME Award, coming from the life saving and safety equipment category, was awarded to Spinlock for its Lume-On lifejacket illumination product. Applying existing technologies to tackle old maritime problems, Spinlock has created a pair of LED lights that stick onto a lifejacket and transform the lifejacket itself into a strobe light by diffusing light throughout the bladder.

LED’s are by no means a new technology, nor are they expensive, furthermore the adhesive used to guarantee the shelf life (five years) and seaworthiness of the product is the same used for SOLAS reflective strips. However, there was an additional benefit to the Lume-On discovered during the testing phase.

“Its very reassuring as a man over board to see that amount of light and illumination,” explains Spinlock. “We tested it during the dark, in the Solent, and having a single point of light does not give you a lot to focus on. When the Lume-On is activated it provides a reassuring feeling that you are doing all you can to remain visible as well as providing a point of focus.”

In extreme scenarios, mental attitude plays an important role in the drive to persevere. The low design cost ensures that the Lume-On is a cost effective survival add-on and worthy of its accolades.

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