Despite ongoing education, firearms incidents still occur each year. This article provides a reminder to hunters on the basic rules of firearms and hunter safety.
With the roar just around the corner there will be plenty of keen hunters planning to head into the hills, so there is no better time to remind yourself about safe handling of firearms.
In December last year the Police released the new Firearms Safety Code, subtitled ‘The Fundamental Guide for the Safe Use of Firearms’. This code is the firearms safety bible for hunters.
Section 1 of the revised code contains the seven basic rules of firearms safety. These rules can be desribed as common sense and on many occassions, where incidents have been investigated, the conclusion has been that they could have been avoided if one or more of the seven rules had been fully complied with.
All of the seven rules have specific messages and each message is easily understood. Let's remind ourselves of these rules:
1. TREAT EVERY FIREARM AS LOADED
By having this rule ingrained in your mind, you will be likely to treat firearms with respect. Always maintain a safe muzzle direction and remember to keep your finger outside the trigger guard and off the trigger. Only touch the trigger when you are ready to fire.
When hunting with a companion it is a good idea to do a peer check and check each other's firearm is unloaded. It is most important to show consideration and courtesy for yourself and others around you when handling firearms.
