Safety standards are set to make the sport of paintball as safe as possible for all players during competitive and non-competitive paintball games and during practice. Paintball fields have field referees to assure the guidelines are followed.
Different companies, organizations, and the field management set up the guidelines. The safety companies will provide guidelines for the following:
The National Professional Paintball League has safety guidelines that are followed in all competitive games that they sponsor. The guidelines keep players, officials, spectators, and media personal safe. For competition, it also provides consistency and prevents unfair advantages that may present a risk to paintball players.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) regulates paintball gun manufacturing. It also regulates accessories for paintball markers. One of the criteria the ATF considers is if the paintball gun or accessory can be modified and be used with a firearm that will shoot bullets. The ATF has strict regulations. The concerns of this organization include national security and safety issues.
Another company that provides safety guidelines is insurance companies. For a field, competition, or paintball event to be insured, the safety guidelines set by the insurance companies will need to be followed. The insurance companies set up the safety criteria to reduce their of having to pay for injuries that occur during paintball play and events.
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) formed a task force to make paintball eye protective devices (EPD) safer. Fields usually require goggles or masks that meet minimum requirements for safety.
Safety guidelines are set up by companies that own and run paintball fields. These guidelines will be a combination of the guidelines from various sources:
With paintball experience, comes knowledge and understanding of the reasons why the organizations and companies come up with safety guidelines. The more you play the more you’ll appreciate that safety companies test equipment to see that it meets adequate standards and that they set guidelines to keep you safe.
Everyone has the same goal and that is to play a challenging paintball game that utilizes the skills of the players and to have a fun. Playing within the safety guidelines are for your benefit, so it’s best to follow them instead of fighting them.
