IBS new safety rule

R

rusty dog

Guest
We would like to thank Jim Borden and the IBS for their new safety rule. An air horn or buzzer mush be sounded (we personally like the air horn) before an emergency cease fire is called. This new rule will help all shooter with any degree of hearing loss and will not cost that much. We hope the NBRSA will also adopt this rule. Again thank you IBS. Bill, Alice Townsley and Rusty Dog....PS what do other shooter with hearing loss think??:)
 
We instituted the "hailer" rule at all our IBS matches last year and it works great. There is no picky "duration" or "decibel" content in the rule, a small dose of common sense is all it takes. We bought a Radio Shack hand-held pager which has a button for a "woop, woop, woop" siren sound. It's loud enough to be easily heard through double ear protection and most levels of "hard of hearing". It's a very distinctive sound and definitely alerts all shooters that something unusual is going on and to "hands-off" all firearms. No opening the bolt, no clearing the chamber, no "nuthin'" -- when the alarm sounds, hands off and wait for instructions from the Range Officer. Very safe.

We also have a "no guns at the bench" rule when the target crew is downrange. Not even with bolts removed. This is the result of a 9-year-old's question: "Dad, I thought you said never to point a gun at another person, even if it's unloaded?"
 
Reed

When the guns are off of the bench, in the loading area and being cleaned, are they always pointing away from all people. It seems strange to me to have guns off of the bench and, at the same time, pointed all different ways while in the cleaning cradles.

At the Denton range on Saturdays there's usually no one but benchresters shooting. But, during the month leading up to Deer season that all changes. We had some deer hunters get irate about bench guns pointing down range during cold range times but they had their guns in cleaning cradles pointing across the loading area at the benchrest shooters. We really try to be extra considerate during the lead up to deer season so as not to offend the hunters with what looks like to them, a breach of safety rules.
 
Emergency means "Right Now!!!!"

If I see something that requires an immediate cease fire, I'm not going to waste time getting the RO's attention so he can toot the horn. I'm going to scream out "CEASE FIRE", or "STOP"- it's an unconditioned response. Everybody on the line has the responsiblity to call an Emergency cease fire if they observe a safety concern!

Besides, that horn might cause a flinch?...

I'm all for safety, and commend steps towards that end, but this seems too "Official" to me.

Just my $.02,

Bill
 
Kinda like trying to change the order of worship at the church: "We have never done that here before and we're not going to start now!"
 
I'm not sure "cease fire" is inadequate. Just like I'm not sure there is a demonstrable safety hazard by having rifles in the bags with bolts removed while the target crew is downrange. We had a couple of very serious careless near-accidents at our range and decided to try to make every effort we could to eliminate that from happening again. During that discussion it was found that some guys with earplugs plus earmuffs were not hearing everything from the PA system -- which is an excellent system and has good volume. I'm not even sure now where the suggestion of the "hailer" came from, maybe just because we had one at hand.

Please be advised that I have no knowledge that IBS has made any ruling in reference to this procedure. The last "advisory" I had from IBS in June of 2007 merely referenced that when an emergency cease fire was called that "all rifles are to be left untouched until the Range Officer commands otherwise".

The "hailer" simply makes it certain that everyone has heard and that they understand something unusual that requires immediate attention has happened. For all I know, we are the only range using one at this time.
 
From the IBS webpage

I have no knowledge that IBS has made any ruling in reference to this procedure. The last "advisory" I had from IBS in June of 2007 merely referenced that when an emergency cease fire was called that "all rifles are to be left untouched until the Range Officer commands otherwise".

"IBS Range Safety Commands
June 30 2007
Background for Change of Range commands and Safety Rules:
The IBS Range commands were changed prior to the beginning of the 2007 competitive season to address some safety concerns. As we have proceeded through the 2007 competitive season we have received feedback on the commands and we have had two events that have made it necessary to add items to the commands and to the rules. The commands have taken into consideration the input that has been received concerning the confusion that has existed concerning “hold your fire” and cease fire. Range Officers normally call cease fire regardless of whether an interruption is a procedural one or a safety one. By changing the commands to recognize this fact-confusion is removed.
Once the Range officer has called “cease fire” he can then evaluate the
situation and give follow up commands depending on the situation.

All ranges will use an air horn or loud buzzer to signify cease fire in addition to
giving the command.
" ...........................
 
Recently at the shooting club where I shoot, I was brought into a decision making process on a potential safety issue somewhat similar to this. The issue more or less sprouted up out of the ground when another decision was made to alter a club policy, which now meant we had a new can of worms to deal with.

Having little experience with this sort of thing and wanting to make as well informed a decision as I could, I asked some of the "Wiser" folk I know, what their thoughts were. I had my opinion but as usual, it was about the polar oppiosite of what everyone elses was.

A good friend who's opinion I respect, made a 4 word comment to me which sealed my opinion. It was:



Dictate Code, Not Conduct.




He went on to say...

We already have rules in place which dictate how you are to conduct yourself while at the range. It is the shooters responsibility to know those rules and abide by them. Using an excuse of "Well, I'm deaf" is not acceptable. Here's the book, and it says you will conduct yourself in a safe manner at all times. If you are saying there is some issue with YOU that makes YOU possibly unsafe, then get off the line, lest we remove you.

Using the excuse that "I didn't read the book" also is not acceptable. Years ago, had you gone to the line and acted like an idiot, you would expect to be tossed. I know I would. Now though, it seems like there are shooters who seem to think that they should be allowed to act like a moron and the clubs should do something to somehow, make up for their carelessness. I disagree.

Dictatorships have thier place I say. If it were up to me, I'd have a simple questionaire.

Item 1. Can you hear adequately to maintain safety at all times. Yes/No?

Item 2. If No to 1, Can you purchase a set of tactical muffs, maintain the batteries so they are allways in working order, and now hear well enough to maintain safety at all times. Yes/No?

Yes? Ok, go shoot and be safe.

No? Here's your membership fee refund. Goodbye.

Sounds a lot like tuners to me. Instead of fixing the gun, let's stick a band-aid on it and hope it minimizes the problem.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I've always joked that "dictatorship is the best form of goverment -- as long as the dictator agrees with me!"

I don't want to live in your dictatorship.
 
I've always joked that "dictatorship is the best form of goverment -- as long as the dictator agrees with me!"

I don't want to live in your dictatorship.

Let me understand this.

I say if it were up to me, I would ask if a person could conduct themselves in a safe fashion, yes or no, and proceed from there. And you disagree with that?

If I am reading this correctly, you would ask them if they can conduct themselves safely, and if the answer is NO, tell the unsafe shooter to go shoot and then blow a horn...

I would still say that making the rangemasters job more complex is not the solution. Addressing the problem at the source is the solution.

Making new rules and procedures that affect everyone, on the off chance that there might be a person who is both hard of hearing, and also careless enough to not deal with their own potential safety issues, is not solving the problem. Making people responsible for their actions while on the line would be a better place to start. Especially since that is what the range officers are already there for. If we at our range had a shooter who was completely deaf, but was willing to look back at the rangemaster before firing every shot, that would be fine with me. Conduct yourself in a safe manner at all times. YOU decide how to do it and if you have a question of what we feel is safe, ASK.

This safety thing is a lot like the pornography quote going around. I won't define safety but I know what is when I see it. Enter the rangemasters job.

The solution to this problem is already on the books... Deal with the person who is unsafe if that is what has been determined.

Hey, whatever. Blow horns...

Well Wilbur, I think I found that elusive problem you were talking about! And it's not a safety issue.
 
Safety is no accident

This is my first post. I find it hard to believe there are those here (of all places) who would ridicule the IBS for promoting safety procedures- many of which have not been enforced for years.At this years membership meeting Jim Borden's description of some of the most recent incidents gave my spine a chill-- Deja-vu of many times at matches I have witnessed someone (including myself) violate cardinal safety rules and gotten away without incident. There is not one shooter among us who has not witnessed the same. I compete with some of the best in the game --but none has the ability to call a shot back.As for the air horn, my hearing isn't the best and hearing loss runs in the family, but as long as you or I desire to compete and can do so safely this is one means to keep us shooting. Are some of the new practices a pia and take extra time-you bet--But we're there to relax and enjoy ourselves and at least we'll leave the range alive--no guarantees on the ride home.
 
This is my first post. I find it hard to believe there are those here (of all places) who would ridicule the IBS for promoting safety procedures-

Ridicule? No, disagree with implementation/reasons.

many of which have not been enforced for years.

HELLO!!!! Did I not just say that?

At this years membership meeting Jim Borden's description of some of the most recent incidents gave my spine a chill-- Deja-vu of many times at matches I have witnessed someone (including myself) violate cardinal safety rules and gotten away without incident. There is not one shooter among us who has not witnessed the same. I compete with some of the best in the game --but none has the ability to call a shot back.

repeat my last sentence here...

As for the air horn, my hearing isn't the best and hearing loss runs in the family, but as long as you or I desire to compete and can do so safely this is one means to keep us shooting.

There again is where we disagree with what "do so safely" means. To me it means that if nobody else is there, you can conduct yourself safely. Seems simple to me. To me, this is one more way to allow us to be more careless and expect someone else to be responsible for our actions or lack thereof (I say)

Are some of the new practices a pia and take extra time-you bet--But we're there to relax and enjoy ourselves

We are not there to relax while at the line. We are there to be attentive to what we are doing. We may relax when the gun is sitting on the cleaning bench with the bolt removed, and shoot the bull and relax with our friends then. At the line, we are supposed to be watching what is going on. That's part of the "conduct yourself safely" thing.

and at least we'll leave the range alive--no guarantees on the ride home.

No kidding there. That's because that same careless person we allowed to shoot will be on the road, responsible for another potentially lethal device, but with no rangemaster there to blow a horn to wake them up when they fall asleep at the wheel (like is now implied they're allowed to do at the bench).

Every day, blind people walk the streets and manage to get run down by cars less than folks with eyesight. People who can't hear communicate with speaking people without having the speaking person change a thing. People without legs drive cars without needing dual controls on MY car. Deaf people use phones every day without my phone changing a bit.

I'll say again, the rules to deal with this are already on the books. Making more so the old ones can continue to be ignored is not the solution.

These are very profound words here. "Dictate Code, Not Conduct".

jmho...
 
Mr. Pendergraft: As you see it,"overboard" is: (1) Showing bolts out while remained seated, (2) mandatory safety and command rules review prior to match,& (3) safety officer accompanyment to safe area when live or dummy round remains in chamber. These "edicts" were a direct result of recent very near tradjedies at sanctioned matches. The IBS Board is not implimenting new redundant ,unnecessary rules just because they can. In fact most of these have been on the books for years. Maybe we should all (re)-read the rule book and re-fresh our knowledge of those rules. I welcome these stricter enforcement policies because they make SENSE. To NOT implement them defies logic.--------- Mr. 4 Mush , Sir! Thanks to the IBS CHRONIES I can shoot much more RELAXED (even at the bench) if I want, knowing activities around me are monitored and as safe as humanly possible.I notice you have a habit of parsing the words of others and taking statements out of context. Are you related to a MrD? -----Dr. Kilvorkian maybe? My fellow seasoned shooters, BEWARE there are those among us (at least 1) who want to pull your IBS card if caught wearing Depends. -------- One post & I get into a P contest because I don't want to witness someones loved one "leave the range". Mr.4m, maybe you could do the consoling, since you'll have extra time from getting home from the range earlier . BTW, I never did play well with others. Thank you & goodnight.
 
Bulb's

MOST RANGE'S THAT I HAVE DONATED AT HAVE ELECTRIC. WHY NOT HAVE GREEN BULB TO SHOOT AND RED BULB TO STOP:confused:
 
Back
Top