This article has been edited. See below for details.

Edit: the screen capture you see above is from a very-nearly terrible event at an indoor range. The man in the picture took some hot brass to the neck and wound up cracking off 2 NDs.

So, what can we learn?

While the biggest response to this will be an outpouring of derision and WTFs (rightfully so), we reckon it might be more useful to skip past all that and get straight to pulling some lessons from it. Maybe we can mitigate safety issues in other facilities. Here are a few initial thoughts. We’d be obliged if you’d weigh in with some of your own in the comments.

First and foremost, obviously, is muzzle awareness and basic weapon safety. Hot brass happens. Deal with it so you don’t kill somebody.

Why are we sweeping or otherwise conducting maintenance/housekeeping while live fire is going on?

Another edit, to clarify (in answer to Manuel’s comment on Facebook): This is for discussion, i.e., is that range policy, or just bad judgment/timing? Is it any different from new shooters going out to the line, or packing their stuff up and going home? This isn’t directly related to the actual ND. This question, like the ones below, are intended to bring up some points maybe we hadn’t all thought of.

Is there a trauma kit (or kits) nearby, with a staff prepared to use it? [Hopefully all ranges do.]

Does this range, or your range, or our range, or you when you just go out to the range, or us when we go to the range, have a plan in place for calling for help? (As in, have we at least discussed who will call 911, if anyone is going to run out to meet an ambulance – particularly important at a big outdoor range with different sections and bays – or any other contingency planning?)

Was the wall behind the firing line ballistic (we sure as hell hope so).

Were any of the shooters of the line prepared for a worst case, with their own IFAK?

Sound off – this is a training opportunity no one, thankfully, had to bleed for. What else can we learn from this individually, from an RSO/range perspective, and as a community?

As we’ve said before, most of us agree there are 2 kinds of people. Those who’ve had an ND, and those who haven’t yet. Shit happens, let’s learn from it.

This article has been edited after we moved the video from public display at a reasonable request. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALT-THE7tGE&feature=youtu.be