Safety/risk assessment before using steel shot

[urban_winter]

I am the safety officer of a small clay club. My safety-officer course didn't include any mention of steel shot. I would like to introduce steel at our club but I haven't been able to find any resources to help guide a safety assessment before we do so. Does anyone know of anything? I am aware that there may be a greater ricochet risk (although sources differ on this) but I don't know of anything else to take into account. Safety distances won't be different, and falling shot will present the same hazard as with lead. Safety of particular cartridges in individual guns is, and must remain, the responsibility of each shooter. What else do I need to think about?

Thanks,

U.

[mgsontour]

13 minutes ago, urban_winter said:

I am the safety officer of a small clay club. My safety-officer course didn't include any mention of steel shot. I would like to introduce steel at our club but I haven't been able to find any resources to help guide a safety assessment before we do so. Does anyone know of anything? I am aware that there may be a greater ricochet risk (although sources differ on this) but I don't know of anything else to take into account. Safety distances won't be different, and falling shot will present the same hazard as with lead. Safety of particular cartridges in individual guns is, and must remain, the responsibility of each shooter. What else do I need to think about?

Thanks,

U.

As long as they sign to say death/injury is a risk of becoming a member then you have observed the risk and alerted members to it, you could absolutely mention every aspect of shooting is dangerous/life threatening because the snowflakes may need this kind of guidance similar to playing conkers in the school playground but that's what you signed up for. . . . . . carry the can when it goes pear shaped

PS. Don't shoot the postman but you did ask

[timps]

If you have trees at the ground just be aware steel shot can play havoc with chainsaws should any of your staff need to do woodland management. So much so that it is banned in some woodland areas.

 

[HantsRob]

This is a very simple risk assessment.

Identify the risk/hazard
Identify who may be harmed and how
Work out precautions or safety features
Log your findings
Implement precautions to remove risk
Review regularly

 

Also, consider making insurance mandatory for all shooters to a minimum of 5 million (or whatever BASC, CSA etc all suggest for bird shooting)

Failing that, call around other clubs and ask to see their policies. I doubt many will mention steel if any, it depends on a site though. Ricochet rarely happens from a clay 50 yards away, so your site will make your RA very specific, depending on what you have that could bounce the material shot. 

[udderlyoffroad]

6 hours ago, mgsontour said:

As long as they sign to say death/injury is a risk of becoming a member then you have observed the risk and alerted members to it, you could absolutely mention every aspect of shooting is dangerous/life threatening because the snowflakes may need this kind of guidance similar to playing conkers in the school playground but that's what you signed up for. . . . . . carry the can when it goes pear shaped

PS. Don't shoot the postman but you did ask

You clearly don't understand his role, and/or just wanted a rant about 'elf and safety gone mad'.  

Anyway, have you asked one of the organisations, BASC or CPSA?  The former have organised steel trial days, am sure they'll have advised the various grounds involved.

To my mind, Risk = Severity x Likelihood, and if you have a slight increase in likelihood, but severity remains the same, your overall risk barely changes.  Highlight this on your RA/Method statement, minimise any 'hard surfaces' down range - which you will already have done, job's a good'un.   Maybe post a notice by the sign-in sheet "We are now allowing use of steel shot, this brings with it a small increased risk of ricochet according to some of the published literature.  Members are reminded to read the risk assessment and follow club rules at all times"

Edited November 8, 2021 by udderlyoffroad

[Old farrier]

How’s mandatory insurance going to work? 
 

especially if you wish to take a youngster to try a session shooting or introduce someone to the sport can you buy it by the day?

appreciate that most grounds have insurance for this not individual’s