Paintball safety

Paintball safety refers to the equipment, rules, operating procedures and technical standards intended to reduce the risk of injury during recreational and competitive paintball. The principal safety measures include purpose-designed eye and face protection, controlled marker velocities, barrel-blocking devices, safe handling of compressed-gas equipment, protective netting and supervised playing areas.[1][2]

Safety requirements vary between countries, commercial fields and tournament organisations. In the United States, ASTM International publishes standards for paintball protective equipment, marker construction, field operation and related activities. These standards are also referenced by paintball organisations outside the United States.[1][3]

Although paintball involves the deliberate firing of projectiles at other participants, organised play incorporates equipment and procedures intended to control the associated risks. No protective equipment or operating procedure eliminates every possibility of injury.[2]

Eye and face protection

Eye protection is one of the principal safety requirements in paintball.

Paintballs can cause serious eye injuries when a person is struck without suitable protection. Paintball-specific goggles are therefore worn during play and in other areas where markers may be discharged.

ASTM F1776 establishes performance requirements for eye, face and head protective devices designed for paintball. The standard includes testing of impact resistance, protection against projectile penetration, optical characteristics and field of vision.[1]

The standard recognises different categories of protection, ranging from eye protection to systems incorporating coverage of the face, ears and head.

Commercial playing fields and tournament organisations generally require participants to wear purpose-designed paintball goggle systems rather than ordinary spectacles, safety glasses or non-paintball protective eyewear.

The National Xball League (NXL), for example, requires approved paintball goggles to be worn in playing fields, chronograph areas and shooting ranges.[4]

Protective systems must be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Damaged lenses, frames or retention systems can compromise their protective function.

Marker velocity

The speed at which a paintball leaves a marker is an important element of paintball safety.

Velocity is commonly measured in feet per second (fps) using an electronic chronograph.

A maximum muzzle velocity of 300 fps is widely used in conventional .68-calibre paintball, including major tournament competition.[4]

This is approximately 91 metres per second.

Individual fields and competition formats may impose lower limits, particularly for younger participants or lower-impact paintball.

Marker velocity is affected by factors including the marker's pressure regulation, propellant supply and operating conditions.

Tournament rules generally require markers to be tested using a chronograph and provide penalties or disqualification procedures for equipment exceeding permitted limits.

The 300 fps figure should not be interpreted as a universal legal standard. Applicable limits depend on the jurisdiction, field and competition rules.

Rate of fire

Modern electronic paintball markers can fire paintballs substantially faster than manually operated or mechanical markers.

Tournament organisations therefore regulate firing modes and rates of fire.

These restrictions are intended to standardise competition and limit the number of projectiles that can be fired during play.

The NXL uses specific electronic marker firing-mode and rate-of-fire requirements, including a maximum of 10.5 balls per second for its principal X-Ball competitions.[4]

Other tournament formats may use different limits or require mechanical or semiautomatic operation.

The permitted rate of fire is determined by the applicable competition rules rather than by a universal technical standard.

Barrel-blocking devices

Barrel-blocking devices are used to prevent paintballs from leaving a marker barrel unintentionally when the marker is not being used for play.

Common devices include:

Barrel covers: Fabric or reinforced sleeves secured over the end of a marker barrel.
Barrel plugs: Devices inserted into the muzzle, historically used on many recreational markers.

Barrel covers have become the predominant form of barrel-blocking device in modern tournament paintball.

Their purpose is distinct from the marker's mechanical or electronic safety system.

Tournament and commercial field procedures generally require markers to have barrel-blocking devices fitted outside designated playing or testing areas.

ASTM F2272 establishes safety and performance requirements for recreational paintball markers, including provisions concerning accidental discharge and marker disabling devices.[3]

Playing fields

Commercial paintball fields use controlled playing areas intended to separate active games from spectators, equipment preparation areas and other activities.

ASTM F1777 establishes minimum operational safety requirements for paintball game sites.[2]

Typical field safety arrangements include:

Defined playing boundaries.
Protective netting or other suitable barriers.
Separate areas for players to prepare equipment.
Designated chronograph and marker-testing areas.
Rules governing protective equipment and marker handling.
Referees or other personnel supervising games.
Procedures for responding to injuries and emergencies.

The specific requirements depend on the type of facility, playing format and local regulations.

Protective netting

Protective netting is commonly installed around tournament fields, recreational playing areas and chronograph stations.

Its purpose is to contain paintballs within designated areas and reduce the risk of projectiles reaching people who are not wearing protective equipment.

ASTM F2184 provides guidance on the installation of paintball barrier netting.

The standard addresses netting used to separate playing fields, chronograph areas, shooting ranges and other areas where protective goggles are required.[5]

ASTM F2278 provides a method for evaluating the performance of paintball barrier netting.[6]

Netting must be selected, installed and maintained for its intended purpose. An ordinary fence or unspecified mesh should not be assumed to provide suitable paintball protection.

Compressed-gas equipment

Paintball markers commonly use compressed air, nitrogen or carbon dioxide as propellants.

These gases are stored in pressurised cylinders connected to the marker.

Compressed-air systems commonly operate at nominal service pressures of 3,000 or 4,500 pounds per square inch, depending on the cylinder design.

Cylinder safety involves correct equipment selection, inspection, filling procedures and compliance with applicable pressure-vessel regulations.

ASTM publishes standards addressing several aspects of paintball gas systems, including:

ASTM F2030, covering paintball cylinder burst-disc assemblies.
ASTM F2773, covering the transfilling of compressed air or nitrogen and the safe handling of small paintball cylinders.
ASTM F2856, covering the transfilling and handling of small CO₂ cylinders.
ASTM F2653, covering specified valve-to-cylinder threaded connections.[7]

Cylinders may also be subject to periodic inspection and testing requirements established by national transport or pressure-equipment authorities.

Hydrostatic testing intervals and cylinder service-life requirements depend on the cylinder specification, certification and applicable jurisdiction.

Filling equipment must be operated in accordance with the cylinder manufacturer's requirements and relevant legal standards.

Player safety procedures

Paintball fields and tournament organisers commonly provide safety briefings before players enter active playing areas.

These briefings explain the operation of protective equipment, field boundaries, marker-handling rules and the procedures used to stop a game.

ASTM F2801 provides a standard practice for paintball player safety briefings.[8]

Players are normally instructed to keep their goggles on while within designated live-fire areas and to follow the directions of referees and field personnel.

Rules may also address minimum engagement distances, physical contact, equipment inspection and conduct towards other participants.

The requirements differ between recreational, scenario and competitive paintball.

Tournament safety

Organised tournament paintball incorporates additional equipment and procedural controls.

Tournament regulations commonly establish rules concerning:

Approved paintball goggles and protective equipment.
Marker velocity and rate of fire.
Barrel-blocking devices.
Chronograph testing.
Field boundaries and protective netting.
Referee instructions and game stoppages.
Penalties for unsafe conduct or equipment violations.

The National Xball League publishes detailed competition regulations covering marker configuration, protective equipment and the operation of its tournament fields.[4]

Other governing bodies and national organisations may adopt different rules, particularly for mechanical paintball, woodsball and formats involving younger participants.

Injuries and risk

Paintball can cause injuries despite the use of protective equipment.

Reported injuries include bruising, skin injuries, sprains and eye trauma.

Eye injuries are of particular concern when suitable protective goggles are absent, removed or improperly fitted.

Safety standards address known hazards through protective equipment testing, equipment design requirements and field operating procedures.

ASTM F1776 specifically addresses reducing the risk of injury to the eye and surrounding structures from paintball impacts and penetration.[1]

The existence of these standards does not mean that organised paintball is free from risk.

Technical standards

Several ASTM standards specifically address paintball equipment and activities.

Standard	Subject
ASTM F1776	Eye, face and head protective devices for paintball.
ASTM F1777	Paintball game site operation.
ASTM F2184	Installation of paintball barrier netting.
ASTM F2272	Safety and performance requirements for paintball markers.
ASTM F2278	Evaluation of paintball barrier netting.
ASTM F2801	Paintball player safety briefings.
ASTM F2773	Transfilling compressed air or nitrogen and handling small paintball cylinders.
ASTM F2856	Transfilling and handling small CO₂ cylinders.

These standards are published and periodically revised by ASTM International. Compliance requirements depend on the rules and regulations applicable to the equipment, field or tournament.[1][2][3][5][6][7][8]

References

External links