Shocking Stuff — Pistol Competitor Nearly Kills Range Worker
Here is a video every shooter should watch. It reminds us that our sport demands 100% attention. Lose track of individuals down-range and the results could be tragic. This video will give you chills (starting at about the 0:25 mark). We need to remember to follow all the firearms safety rules, and apply them all the time. At the range, all it takes is one brief moment of inattention to create a life-threatening situation. Never assume the downrange area is safe. Use your own eyes and ears.
This video shows a competitor shooting a stage at an action pistol match. He starts when instructed by the Range Safety Officer (RSO). But unbeknownst to both RS0 and competitor, a volunteer is downrange working on targets. Watch carefully. At 0:27 the shooter sweeps left to right, engaging a paper silhouette target to his right. Then, at 0:30, as he begins a mag change, his head turns downrange. A few yards away is a white-shirted range worker! The shooter yells “Hey what’s going on?!”
What’s going on indeed… The RSO should have ensured that nobody was downrange before the shooter even stepped up to the firing line. If other competitors standing to the side had been alert, they might have seen the worker changing targets and called for a halt. And the target-worker himself — even if he was wearing earmuffs, he should have noticed that live fire had commenced just yards away…
We also have to wonder about the stage design. This set-up made it very difficult to see downrange. The white panels (see 0:10-0:20) definitely hid the target worker from view. In hindsight, given the way the stage was laid out, this was truly an “accident waiting to happen”. It’s fortunate that no one got injured in this incident. But this chilling video provides a lesson to all shooters — “Safety First”.
How could this “near-fatality” have been averted? Post your comments below.
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Tags: Pistol Competition, Range Safety, RSO, Safety First
Range staff: COUNT THEM OUT, COUNT THEM IN Any discrepancies, STOP, STOP, STOP.
It seems odd that the worker down-range did not hear the pre-firing commands, let alone the hail of gunfire headed his way.
Overdoing the ear protection? Maybe if firing a Ma Deuce or 84mm anti-armour weapond.
Has a hearing problem already?
Using those “ear-defenders” with the built-in radio / MP3 player?
A simple man down range card, red rag or anything placed in a predetermined position to alert others the range is not clear.
It is becoming more common for Range Line officers to use just voice commands. I have been to some decent matches where the range officer is just yelling commands without bullhorn or PA speakers. 40-50 years ago I always seen decent pa systems and nowadays folks either don’t want to set them up or use them, which is BS, especially for a hearing impaired shooter with ear protection on. This range officer just used a normal voice to the shooter and seemed to focus all his attention to the shooter and timer, with no regard to the range being clear. I am flabbergasted to see the guy downrange unaware of impacts hitting just down the berm from him. If a range is going to have all these obstacles, the range officer damn well better make sure he has all personel out of the range of fire.
Range sign-in/out sheet does wonders to avoid this issue. Also, RSO should walk the range to double-check. Small range like that is easy/quick check.