Quote:
Originally Posted by mental4astro
Thing is I don't need to join a club to use this site. Also no club in Sydney offers the same conditions within two hours of my home.
So you see for me it was a matter of sharing a unique place, not as an organised club arrangement.
I guess I'll just have to keep the site to myself instead of sharing a whole freaking airfield!
At the most I'll just be able to announce where my intention is to go just to let someone know for safety sake.
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I see what you are saying Alexander, but you have to bear in mind a few things. Being in a club or society doesn't insure the said club/society members, only the public. What it does do is provide a measure of protection for the organisers of the event in case some injury occurs. Because if there is an injury, in Queensland certainly, there will be an investigation by WH&S and the organisers will be held accountable, and left open for civil action. The airport will also be held responsible for any actions on their premises because they did not ensure that the situation was safe... I can assure you that they will not be happy to be dragged through the mud, face fines, and lose reputation.
The origin of this thread was just to make people aware that a "Once in a Blue Moon" freak accident could occur, and that if you do not do all that you can to mitigate the risk there will be consequences. Just because it didn't happen previously, because "this is the way we do it", because people should harden up and accept the risks, will not absolve you from any potential fallout. In an extreme case:- Moreton Thiocol played the acceptable risk game and are now held up as an example of how not to set your safety policy, and NASA barely escaped blame because they were relying on advice from Thiocol.
Again, the thread (as I read it) was to point out that be aware of safety:
Don't set tripping hazards
Make sure everyone knows what they must not do
Make sure that you are covered by some sort of insurance if the public are involved.
Safety lighting doesn't have to be floodlights and strobes. Strategically places LED lights, even white marker paint on the ground to show people safe pathways will help. We started doing that at the Queensland Astrofest and it is unbelievable how much this has helped even those who are old hands at the game.
No biggie, be safe and and you can share and enjoy your hobby with anyone.