Safety and Lead Management Tips for Firing Ranges from MT2 Firing Range Services Certified Industrial Hygienist.

Firing Range Cleaning Services – Bullet containment for your gun range

In a news story reporting that  a “Woman hit by bullet from neighboring outdoor gun range”

and a “Man In Jackson Township Says Bullets From Gun Range Have Hit His House” – there are some points you can pick up to make sure your shooting range stays safe.

Shooting directions and patterns are important to consider when determining the effectiveness of bullet containment devices. For example, many bullet traps are effective in containing bullets fired from specific directions. It is vital that you utilize bullet containment devices that match your range’s specific

shooting patterns and manufacturers specifications. Understanding the shooting direction and patterns will also help to correctly identify the shotfall zone at trap and skeet ranges.

Knowing where spent lead is allows the appropriate BMP to be used. The single most effective BMP for managing lead in these areas is by bullet containment. Owners/operators should employ a containment system that allows for the maximum containment of lead on-site.

EPA recommends that you discuss your range’s bullet containment needs with a variety of vendors before deciding what type of containment device to use.

Reference: Best management practices for lead outdoor shooting ranges, EPA-902-B-01-001, Revised June 2005

 

Waste Management Considerations on Your Firing Range 

In a recent news story, Feds hit Bergen County with $88K fine for illegally burying lead ammo near river. Activists call it ‘shameful.’

Proper hazardous waste identification is essential to the success of the hazardous waste management program. The RCRA regulations at 40 CFR §262.11 require that any person who produces or generates a waste must determine if that waste is hazardous. In doing so, §262.11 presents the steps in the hazardous waste identification process:

• Is the waste a “solid waste”?
• Is the waste specifically excluded from the RCRA regulations?
• Is the waste a “listed” hazardous waste?
• Does the waste exhibit a characteristic of hazardous waste?

When faced with the question of whether or not a waste is regulated as hazardous under RCRA, turn to §262.11. This regulation will remind you of the four steps in the RCRA hazardous waste identification process.

Reference: 40 CFR § 262.11

 

Bloodborne Pathogens Related to Your Gun Range Employees

Accidents will happen on the gun range as reported in this news story about a man in Texas who shot himself as he was holstering his gun and the shooting range employee came to help.

Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms present in blood that can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. Workers exposed to bloodborne pathogens are at risk for serious or life-threatening illnesses.

OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standard prescribes safeguards to protect workers against the health hazards caused by bloodborne pathogens. Its requirements address items such as exposure control plans, universal precautions, engineering and work practice controls, personal protective equipment, housekeeping, laboratories, hepatitis B vaccination, post-exposure follow-up, hazard communication and training, and recordkeeping. The standard places requirements on employers whose workers can be reasonably anticipated to contact blood or other potentially infectious materials, such as unfixed human tissues and certain body fluids. Ranges may be pulled into this standard if range staff and required to either administer first-aid and/or clean-up after a slide laceration or gunshot incident.

 

Reference: 29 CFR 1910.1030

 

MT2,The Lead Liability Mitigation Authority, is recognized as the largest nationwide firing range services contractor having served over 3,000 ranges in the past 20 years.  As the nation’s #1 range support firm, MT2 specializes in safety and environmental assessment, consulting services, lead reclamation, range and bullet trap installations, maintenance cleaning, renovations and improvements, lead-waste management, construction and construction management of new ranges.

We recently conducted a Webinar: Critical Firing Range Operational and Waste Management Requirements – Discussion with Nationally Recognized Experts to Take the Worry Out of OSHA and US EPA RCRA Compliance for Your Firing Range.

 

To view the replay, visit: http://firingrangeleadmanagementguide.com