Qual to become a Safety Supervisor

[incubus]

They should also be checking that the barrel stays within a suitable arc during all drills

You think I don’t watch that when conducting a WHT?

[bob1]

That should be covered by the RCO in his staff brief.

It should indeed, and it is their job to make sure firers comply.

That also should be directed by the RCO in his brief but if you have someone who conducts WHT’s, they should know where to stand in order to observe and\or intervene as necessary.

You think I don’t watch that when conducting a WHT?

There are no pre-defined positions to be in for a WHT like there is for safety supervision. You may be very diligent in the conduct of your tests (the majority of others aren’t) but you’ve never been instructed on those positions formally so the SST is not in place.

It would take all of a couple of hours for whoever delivers the SAAI course to also bolt in a safety supervision ppt and then do an exam as confirmation to people qualified. Unfortunately it’s not in the course folder that is provided by SASC or down as an outcome for that course so I doubt very much they will change that.

Have any of you raised this point with TDT on the shooting portal or done anything else other than moan about it on here?

[MikeJenvey]

If SASC got off their high horse & accepted all single-shot, bolt action rifles, as “sporting” category, with a move to NRA / NSRA safety guidelines, life would be very sweet.

Go for common “NSP” drills too, for example:

• Unload = open bolt, firer carries visual / physical check of breech.
• RCO carries out independent visual / physical check of breech.
• Insert breech flag.

Simplify everything & you will eradicate the superfluous faff!

[bob1]

If SASC got off their high horse & accepted all single-shot, bolt action rifles, as “sporting” category, with a move to NRA / NSRA safety guidelines, life would be very sweet.

I don’t know, have you seen the hash the RAF AC made of clay target which is sporting and NGB based.

[wdimagineer2b]

I passed the BCC and was qualified by 5 SATT to safety supervise.

I also qualified as a WI and was then subsequently given additional training from a member the CTT to the SAAI course folder (because 5 SATT’s WI course was rubbish back when I did it).

I’ve then gone on to qualify with the CTT on the LSW.

I wasn’t taught a single thing on that Basic Coaching Course/Safety Supervisor which would have made me a better SS than if I’d only taken the WI/SAAI route.

Which apparently means that: The full and proper role of a Safety Supervisor wasn’t actually taught on the Safety Supervisor course; and/or as Gunner says, there’s nothing which occurs on a standard range practice that a WI/SAAI doesn’t already watch out for.

Which, particularly given Ibbi’s comment, rather raises the question - What exactly ARE Safety Supervisors supposed to do?
What skill is it that HQAC think is missing from the Instructor courses?

I’m not an RCO but I have seen RCOs run practices and give commands on the range which go against what is printed in the weapon PAM… So understandably I lack a certain trust in the various range courses content.

[incubus]

but you’ve never been instructed on those positions formally so the SST is not in place.

So, max 5 minutes to instruct them formally on a WI/SAAI course would be out of the question?

The SST is a fine general concept (as bullet points) but its implementation and execution is shoddy. It is used as an excuse by people who don’t want to update their preconceptions and amend the procedures to be more relevant and appropriate.

[bob1]

The SST is a fine general concept (as bullet points) but its implementation and execution is shoddy.

Shoddy within our organisation as it is allowed to be and not properly understood.