Safety

[Shawn (KZN Burners)]

Time to get this thread started, so here are some observations and suggestions regarding safety around Tankwa town.


1.The air candle lanterns, this year one drifted over and came down and burnt a hole through our tent, luckily we were around and able to extinguish it, it could have been a lot worse a fire in a camp would spread very quickly with catastrophic consequences .
Suggestion:Check prevailing wind conditions and watch for any stray lanterns, they are a nice feature of the burn, also there is a MOOP issue, i found one way out past the toilets whilst MOOPing after this years event.

2. Genny's and fuel containers, they should be made visible day and night to prevent any vehicle driving into them, people tripping over them, containers need to be proper ones not 2L COKE bottles ect.The containers need to be placed a safe distance away from the Genny's.
Suggestion:Place a 3 leg tipi type frame over them, a cheap solution is 20mm white PVC Conduit with either reflective tape or one of those bicycle battery powered red flashing led's .

3.Vehicles and Speeding, driving around the binnekring making more dust, looking for campsites.
Suggestion:Make people aware they must must drive slow , some signage on the way in maybe.

4.Burns, i noticed the timing of the different Burns led to people running to catch them, could lead to injuries.
Suggestion: Stagger the Burn times and the Main Burn should be announced maybe with a siren before to signal, maybe a procession around the Binnekring.

See you on the Playa

[Ard]

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. The trick with safety messages is to get them to participants in a way that they can hear and absorb. I think the forum (and this discussion) will be a good start.

Multiple mediums is the key. The most important is through people: if you see someone doing something unsafe, it is appropriate to mention it to them.

The AmaDeadly Fire Balloon incident was a near miss - I'm damn glad it was caught in time. I have mixed feelings about fire balloons. They are beautiful, but they are a fire hazard and MOOP as well. I will be proposing that fire balloons constitute burnable art and need a burn plan just like the other burning art!

[Ranger Bob]

Hello Shawn

Thank you for starting a vital process of engagement. We really want to encourage all burners to use the forum to highlight and discuss the many issues around AfrikaBurn. For both Ard and myself safety is a big area of focus.

Just to set some context; I want to encourage debate and plan to use the forum as a means to get and gauge burner community feelings around issues. Safety concerns will be recorded and the Health and Safety Portfolio will endeavour to address each issue and ensure that we have policy, action plans and best ways forward for all issues highlighted.

So as I comment in all these threads it will be as Ranger Bob the individual, and not as the final resolute voice of health and safety. Right that said, um, lets comment on your 4 points:

1. We had a minor problem with Lanterns and a big problem with phosphorous parachute lanterns. The former were being shot by an unknown pyro on a number of nights during the event and pose a huge fire threat! The candle lanterns need a discussion about, I agree they pose some risk and are MOOP

Both need to be mentioned in the survival guide and we need to educate and empower all burners to take proactive steps to look-out and stop uneducated burners putting others at risk. For me this is the key of safety on site; its not just the responsibility of the "officials"; we all need to be involved in the safety of others!

2. Good points around storage and marking containers holding any flammable materials (we need to check that this is mentioned in the survival guide)

3. Vehicles! Driving on site is a recurring problem that again needs more education. We have improved the systems, DMV art car reg, ranger patrols each year and every year this is one of our big concentration areas.

4. Burns. For 2012 I know there are plans to have better burn education and even the creation of a PR type burn master to inform peeps and prevent FOMO

Thanks for your input, keep it up!

[Senor Neek]

Shawn, I want to support your comment about signalling the burns...GREAT IDEA.

Some way of letting peeps know that a BIG burn is going down (no, not that dinner is ready) would be great. Especially, for those of us (like me) that are distracted easil....what was i saying?

My merry gang of cohorts, assorted riff-raff, loved ones and bullshit artists has never managed, despite intense bootcamp-style training, to witness the major burns. The consequent bickering and finger-pointing (OK, snoring) is too much to bear any longer. I say, "AYE" to the loud siren / flare / fighter jet!

[tristan.namibia]

Hello Neek and Rangers

In response to the 'burn announcements' : a force is afoot to manifest "Tankwa FM" on 99.9FM stereo (or some other FM frequency) that could be used to PR / announce burns. This may only come on-stream in 2013.

I like the idea that floating candles should be 'registered' or allowed only under certain conditions like wind direction, launch area etc etc).

Greets

T

[Ranger Bob]

thanks Tristan

I know Sam is keen on drafting a burn master who will highlight burn times and shepherd the crowds from big burn to big burn

[adhoc]

thanks Tristan

I know Sam is keen on drafting a burn master who will highlight burn times and shepherd the crowds from big burn to big burn

Could have a mobile solution...... Makes big fire and noise. Could need some dressing up. Which nights and from when to when?