Safety First

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Paintball is an awesome sport, and is both physically and mentally challenging, and rewarding- not to mention unfathombly fun.

However this infinite fun cannot come without care, and that is why Safety is the Number One rule in this sport. APG recently published an article on the current safety rating of paintball, compared to other extreme sports.

"The average player will suffer a paintball injury every 500 years."-APG November 2003. (View the full article)
Goggles are the most important device in paintball, even more important than your gun. How many times have you seen a player take a hit in the goggles? Imagine if that player had not been wearing a mask-not only would they have been very stupid in doing so, they would also be very dead (or seriously injuried).

You know the pain that comes after accidently poking yourself in your eye with a finger or something else, think about the pain that would come after being shot in the eye by a paintball flying through the air at 250 feet per second or more.

Paintball Goggles are Life Saving devices, and there is nothing that compares to them in the sport of Piantball. Remember to always have your goggles on when you're on the field, and not to take them off until the game is officially announced over.

Barrel Plugs/Covers are probably the next most important safety device in this sport. All too often players forget to put the safety on and their fingers "slip" on the trigger. Next thing you know a barrel plug comes flying out of the barrel, covered in paint. Think about it- even though the safety should have been on, if the plug had not been there to stop the ball, someone could have lost an eye or otherwise been seriously injuried..
Although Barrel Covers are better (they don't fly away when a shot is fired) Barrel Plugs are good as well. They should remain on the barrel of your gun as soon as you attach an air source, and should not be removed until you are told to on the field. After the game they should be returned to your barrel.

Both are rather inexpensive (Plugs for under two dollars, Covers for under five) so there is no excuse to not have one.
Paintball guns are powerd by CO2, (although Compressed Air and Nitrogen are becoming quite popular) and the safety involved with the care for CO2 tanks is not taken very seriously by many players. Recently, a woman was killed due to the lack of care associated with a CO2 tank. The valve became dislocated from a tank, that was being removed from a player, and the tank went flying, propelled by the CO2, and smashed into the woman's head, killing her instantly. For the full story, Check This. CO2 tanks should be replaced every five (5) years, and examined after every game. Make sure the vavle is connected securly to the tank. Place your hand over the tank and valve and feel for leaking air as you are unscrewing the tank from your gun. If you feel even the slightest leak, take it immediatly to a certified airsmith, and use Extreme caution in handling it. Caution should also be used in storing and handling CO2 tanks. Thread protectors are highly recomended. If you can't afford a thread protector, try wrapping a paper towel over the valve, and hold it down with a rubber band. You should avoid dropping tanks of any kind, and never look directly into the barrel of a gun, especially if the CO2 is still attached.

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