Tips on protecting yourself from lead poisoning and hearing loss at Brisbane shooting ranges

At our Logan gun shop, one of the frequent questions we are asked is about protection from hearing loss at Brisbane shooting ranges. One of our rarer questions concerns lead poisoning from spent cartridges and how shooters can protect themselves from this problem.

These topics should be included in your firearms safety course, however let’s review both issues, so that you have the right information at your fingertips.

Protection from lead poisoning at Brisbane shooting ranges

Exposure to lead at shooting ranges is a real safety hazard and depends on a number of factors. These include the type of ammunition that is used at the range, how long the ammunition is in use at the range, how often it is recovered and cleared away, if the range is indoors and the type of ventilation in the building.

The problem is that lead dust enters the air when a firearm is discharged and this dust can be inhaled by shooters or contaminate surfaces and be transferred to your skin. From a shooter’s perspective, prevention consists of washing your hands, forearms and face before eating or drinking, smoking or touching anyone else after being at the range. It is also recommended that you bring a change of clothes and footwear with you to change into before you leave the range and wash these clothes quickly and in a separate wash at home.

Protection from hearing loss at Brisbane shooting ranges

The discharge of firearms can exceed 140 dB, so it is recommended that you wear earplugs and earmuffs to protect your hearing. This is particularly relevant if you spend a lot of time at the range, either because you are a sports shooter or because you use firearms in your job.

Workers at Brisbane shooting ranges are at greater risk of both lead poisoning and hearing loss, because of the length of time they spend at firing ranges and because of the cleaning and maintenance they perform. For example, some workers need to wear respirators and full protective gear when performing maintenance of the range, due to the lead dust in the area.

If you have any questions about Brisbane shooting ranges or you want to book into a firearms safety course, you can contact us at our Logan gun shop or call us on 07 3841 1881.