People are better educated about their environment and informed of potential dangers in their surroundings today. It’s pretty much a guarantee than anyone who shoots a firearm knows that the bullet is made, at least partially, of lead. Shooters may not necessarily link lead exposure to shooting ranges, but an indoor shooting range has a special set of problems and needs when it comes to preventing lead poisoning. When you are operating a business such as a shooting range, one of your primary goals is safety – – for your employees as well as your patrons.
Special Needs of the Indoor Shooting Range
- High-capacity air filtration that will effectively remove airborne lead dust from the facility.
- A bullet trap that will prevent any bullets from leaving the facility or ricocheting in the range.
- Cleanliness regime that ensures lead dust does not migrate from the shooting lanes to the rest of the facility.
- The bullets that are in the bullet trap must be legally and properly removed and disposed.
Recently, granulated rubber bullet traps have gained popularity. Not only because the initial installation cost is a fraction of the traditional steel trap, but because evidence has shown that the granulated rubber does a better job of keeping lead dust contained in the trap. The downside to a granulated rubber trap is that they are not as simple to maintain and clean as a steel trap.
Cleaning and mining the lead from a granulated rubber trap requires the use of special equipment along with the knowledge of how to do it properly. The bullets need to be separated from the rubber – it is not as straightforward as simply emptying the collectors in a steel trap.
Having an unqualified employee mine the lead from the rubber — and risking possible OSHA fines — is not the best method for maintaining your rubber trap. In order to protect yourself from possible penalties, and provide a safe, healthy and clean environment for your employees and patrons, you need to use a qualified and experienced lead reclamation contractor.
MT2 is the leading provider of environmental firing range services in the US and has served over 1,200 public and private firing ranges nationwide since 2000. MT2’s firing range services include complete range maintenance, improvements and lead remediation services. For more information about us and our cost-effective and environmentally friendly services, contact us today to see what we can do for you.
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