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WWII HRS Safety Regulations
(Updated 02-04-2013)

GENERAL

Safety and Authenticity rules are controlled and enforced by members appointed by the Vice-President/Chairperson to the Safety and Authenticity Committees. These rules may be changed at any time by a majority vote of that committee. One (1) general safety/authenticity inspection of both Allied and Axis participants WILL BE CONDUCTED AT THE SAME DESIGNATED TIME AND LOCATION at any WWII H.R.S., Inc. sponsored event, so that all participants can observe that it was conducted.

No INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPANTS OR UNITS will retire to the field before the general inspection takes place.

Exception to above:

Event planning staff members who need to enter field, when an unforeseen incident, accident or emergency requires their immediate attention that would interfere with the smooth running of the event, if not attended to. It will still be the responsibility of said members to be inspected prior to entering the field as a participant or participants.

Violators of safety and/or authenticity rules can be brought before the Board of Directors for disposition. It is the responsibility of each individual member registered at an event to be inspected by an appointed Safety/Authenticity officer at the mandatory event inspection. Willful avoidance of the inspections shall be grounds for removal of the offender from the event. Repeated offenses shall be grounds for removal from the WWII H.R.S., Inc.

SAFETY

1. All sanctioned SOCIETY events MUST have a designated safety manager on site to oversee all aspects of safety and must be declared to the Safety and Authenticity Committee at least thirty days prior to the event. Safety managers may be declared on a permanent basis each year.

2. Participants in all SOCIETY sanctioned events must be SOCIETY members in good standing belonging to a chartered unit. Non members may attend SOCIETY events if their unit or organization is recognized as being in good standing; meeting the SOCIETY bylaw defined criteria for recognition; and must follow any event specific rules. Participants without unit affiliation or without unit recognition will not be allowed to participate in any SOCIETY events in any capacity.

3. Any person under the age of 16 may NOT carry any type of weapon or participate in public or tactical battles in any capacity.

4. All Unit Commanders and Co-Commanders must be at least twenty-one (21) years old, and agree to be responsible for the safety education and training of all unit members, as well as being responsible for the safe conduct of all unit members at any function or event that the unit participates as a SOCIETY chartered unit.

5. Absolutely no ignitable devices are to be thrown or fired at any vehicle. Nothing (NO MATTER WHAT IT IS) will be thrown or fired at the driver, nothing is to be thrown at or near a horse. Weapons are not to be fired at wildlife.

6. All action in or around buildings or bunkers must be under the control of at least two (2) safety officers who have the authority to halt the event if they spot any dangerous circumstances. Appointments may be made on site.

7. Alcoholic beverages and/or illegal drugs may not be consumed at any
event, in violation of civil laws.

8. No weapon is to be fired directly at anyone closer that fifty (50) feet or whenever anyone is close to the muzzle of a rifle. This applies to the persons who are next to you, as well as in front of the muzzle. Watch out for the other persons hearing.

9. All pyrotechnics must be approved by the on site safety officer.

10. No projectile may be fired at less than a forty-five (45) degree angle from the horizontal. Signal flares must be fired at (90) degree angle from horizontal.

11. No live ammo is to be in possession of any participant at a SOCIETY sanctioned event EVER! A violation of this rule is grounds for dismissal from the SOCIETY.

12. No one may fix any bayonet to any rifle, except for controlled (posed, staged) photographs. Violations of rules 10 and 11 are grounds for dismissal from the WWII H.R.S., Inc.

13. Wood tipped blanks may only be used in semi-automatic and automatic weapons equipped with blank adapters, NEVER IN A BOLT ACTION RIFLE.

14. Homemade weapons must have a safety check on site at each event, whenever and wherever they are used. There is no such thing as a blanket permit or letter of registration for homemade replicas. Shot guns may not be loaded or fired whatsoever.

15. The use of metal body parachute flares, military artillery, and grenade simulators are not allowed, except for staged spectator evens under the supervision of a WWII H.R.S., Inc. approved safety officer, to be used in controlled areas ONLY.

16. Star crimped blanks may be used in all firearms. Firearms must be fired at a safe angle and not less than fifty (50) feet at anyone. All firearm bores must be clean of any debris at all times.

17. Helmets must be worn by all participants during public battles. Except for the following:
-Gebirgsjagers
-Army Commandos
-Royal Marines
-Russian troops
-Other individual soldiers whose impression requires a softcap to operate
equipment or vehicles authentically or safetly.
-These impressions must wear their impression correct headgear.

18. All glasses must have safety or shatter-resistant lenses.

19. All shoulder weapons must be on safe when a person is loading or unloading from a vehicle and in the field, except when actively engaging a target.

20. Refusal to follow the instructions of a safety official are grounds for dismissal from the WWII H.R.S., Inc. Safety official have the authority to remove any safety offender from any event and file for the offender's dismissal from the WWII H.R.S., Inc. by mailing or emailing his complaint to the chairman of the safety committee within thirty (30) days of the event.

21. If a member of the safety committee is at any event he becomes the senior safety officer for that event. If two (2) or more safety committeeman are at an event, the commission date establishes seniority. The senior safety officer or the chairman of the safety committee has the final say in all on-the-spot safety decisions.

22. All safety rules must be printed in newsletter at least once a year.

23. Members 16-17 may participate in public or tactical battles but must sign any waivers and must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian or their designee.

24. All firearm laws and regulations that apply to a particular location whether federal, state, or local must be followed at a WWII HRS event. It is the responsibility of the event sponsor to make known the particular firearms laws and regulations pertaining to that location for those attending the event.

VEHICLE SAFETY

1. All motor vehicles must be driven by a licensed driver, regardless of off or on road use. The driver must be knowledgeable of the type of vehicle he is driving. PROPER LIABILITY INSURANCE IS MANDATORY. Any vehicle driven off road MUST HAVE A GROUND GUIDE, to avoid personnel hiding in foliage.

2. Service brakes shall function on all wheeled vehicles.

3. Emergency brakes (parking brakes) should be functional, if a vehicle was originally equipped with such brakes.

4. Tires shall have a minimum tread depth of 2/32 inches.

5. Tracks shall be properly adjusted.

6. Steering system shall be functional.

7. Lighting shall be operational if used for night operation.

8. Each vehicle shall be equipped with a current UL listed class BC fire extinguisher, rated for vehicular fires.

9: Batteries must be properly secured to the vehicle.

10: Maximum vehicle speed on the battlefield is 10 m.p.h.

INSURANCE COVERAGE

For safety, all WWII H.R.S., Inc. sponsored tactical and/or public events must be insured. An Event Request Form may be attained from the Secretary, from the website, or posted in THE EDGE. This signed form must be submitted by the requestor to the Secretary at least 30 days prior to the event. Proof of insurance, or if requested by the event host a certificate of insurance, will then be issued however a fee may be imposed for a certificate of insurance. If this procedure is not followed and/or the requester's current membership dues are not paid in full, the event will not be advertised in any official HRS publication nor will proof of insurance be provided or a certificate of insurance be issued to the requestor.

Questions
Members who have questions regarding the safety regulations should contact a member of the Board of Directors.

Changes
Members who wish to propose changes to the by-laws, safety, or authenticity regulations, should follow the protocol as directed in the by-laws.

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