But they'll be firing BLANKS!

[PepperElf]

He was shot fatally with a blank

Just three words to that.... John Erik Hexum.

he had a good career going until he started playing with a prop-gun loaded with blanks...

On October 12, 1984, in between filming scenes on the set of Cover Up, Hexum was critically wounded after he placed a .44 Magnum prop gun loaded with blanks to his temple and pulled the trigger.....

Hexum was apparently unaware that blanks use paper or plastic wadding to seal gun powder into the shell, and that this wadding is propelled out of the barrel of the gun with enough force to cause severe injury or death if the weapon is fired within a few inches of the body, especially if pointed at a particularly vulnerable spot, such as the temple or the eye. Although the paper wadding in the blank that Hexum discharged did not penetrate his skull, the wad struck him in the temple with enough blunt force trauma to shatter a quarter-sized piece of his skull and propel the pieces into his brain causing massive hemorrhaging.

I personally remember the news reports, of someone demonstrating how it happened. He fired a gun loaded with blanks at a paper cutout of a head, and it shredded the paper head apart.


and ... yeah guns loaded with blanks? Personally I think that's just an accident waiting to happen. What's wrong with ordering some of those molded plastic training weapons? It's not like they're impossible to find... heck www.lapolicegear.com should have some... yeah like this. I mean...heck, back when I worked security, that's what we had to train with. No accidents allowed.

[Jack Doe]

We had a drill like this once for the company I was with before Awesome Cable, but they were using paintball pistols. The day before, everyone who was going to participate were fitted for JT-7 goggles, that way there wouldn't be any accidental face/eye injuries. A few guys brought their own paintball markers in, and imagine the 'terrorists' surprise when they were hit by fire coming in the door. They had to do it over again, and the guys who brought their markers were terminated for 'bringing simulated firearms onto company property.'

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Why do they need to make this drill so "realistic"? It sounds very irresponsible.

I wouldn't be showing up to work on the day this drill was supposed to happen.

[smileyeagle1021]

you know, I'm all for proper preparedness... I think during the year I worked at the call center maybe a fire drill or two would have been appropriate (we had NO safety drills whatsoever)... but if they announced a stunt like that, even in a state with zero labor protection like Utah, I'm sure the labor board would be less than amused. And Jack Doe, please tell me that the company you worked for got slapped with a MAJOR lawsuit... firing people for bringing in similated weapons AFTER telling said employees that "btw, we're going to shoot you all tomorrow" is morally reprehensible at best, criminal at worst.

[donruss]

There wa san actor in the 80's that essentially killed himself by putting a gun loaded with blanks to his teple and pulled the trigger. The force knocked him unconscious/comatose and he never recovered. Plug got pulled after a while.

Aside form that, isn't everyone running into the same office like shooting fish in a barrel? Why not designate multiple office so that are multiple opportunities to dial 911 and less risk of complete erradication?

CH

The actor was Jon-Erik Hexum and the show was called Cover-Up.

[Caveat Emptor]

When I was in ROTC, at the beginning of each field exercise an NCO would demonstrate how, even with a supressor on the muzzle of an M-16, blanks still dispersed enough material through said muzzle to shred a styrofoam cup.

[cinema guy]

What sort of work place is it that considers this so likely that they need a drill?

[crazylegs]

Turns out the rifle wasn't loaded with blanks. Instead, it was firing live ammunition. A total of 17 people were wounded, some very seriously, but by some miracle I don't think anyone died. It was just a simple mixup with the magazines,

Which is why the British Army uses BFAs (Blank Firing Adaptors) as seen in this image, once you've attempted to fire one round through it you won't try again. Essentially it's a bright yellow block that fits into the muzzle of the weapon and will make you aware you're firing live rounds.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

There wa san actor in the 80's that essentially killed himself by putting a gun loaded with blanks to his teple and pulled the trigger. The force knocked him unconscious/comatose and he never recovered. Plug got pulled after a while.

CH

Beat me to it. Jon Erik Hexum, the star of the series Voyagers.

He was clowning around, but didn't realize that wadding actually exited the gun with enough force to break his skull and drive pieces of it into his brain, which is what happened. Senseless, preventable. Just awful.

[technical.angel]

Am I the only one who got totally gutterbrained at the title?

As I work in an university, I'm expecting to have some kind of drill here. And I plan to throw a calm, rational fit if I'm expected to participate.

[crazylegs]

As I work in an university, I'm expecting to have some kind of drill here. And I plan to throw a calm, rational fit if I'm expected to participate.

Thing is if there is to be a drill and you have a 'shooter' they should be fitted with something along the lines of the MILES system, not popping off blanks of any description.

Anyhow the drill will never simulate what really happens, the best advice is the generic stuff,

Know how to lock/unlock doors
Know your exits from any part of the building you do or may work in
Keep your exit routes clear at all times.

[Dreamstalker]

A few guys brought their own paintball markers in, and imagine the 'terrorists' surprise when they were hit by fire coming in the door. They had to do it over again, and the guys who brought their markers were terminated for 'bringing simulated firearms onto company property.'

Wait...what? Not allowed to defend yourself...that's great.

The Game Store had no procedures for intruders (I guess the owner's theory was that the police station was just around the corner so he didn't need a plan). The solution given when pressed about it? Go downstairs and get out the back hall that way (um, your solution fails for many reasons).

Although the 3.5D&D books could probably be used as effective weapons...

[smileyeagle1021]

I like my plan for not getting killed... if some gun weilding maniac comes up to the desk demanding money... take the drawer out, throw it at his face with as much force as possible (hey, not my fault you didn't specify how you wanted the money ) and pray that said maniac doesn't squeeze the trigger instinctively and if he does that his aim will have been thrown off... then run like hell out the back office door and to room 123 with my master key and lock myself in (and any guest in there that wants to complain can go to hell). Management has never said a word about it... that's just something I thought of during a really slow period at work... then I can dial 911 and Fenrus can send the police.

[BroSCFischer]

When I was in Air Force Basic Training, they gave us rubber M-16s and had us attach our flashlights to the barrel. Then to simulate firing, we were to flick the flashlight on and off.

This was MILITARY (albeit Air Force) training.

As has been said numerous times already, your bosses are idiots just asking for a lawsuit.

SC

[Chromatix]

Well, an M-16 isn't usually meant to have pinpoint accuracy. So if you're in the general direction of where it's being pointed, and not stupidly far away, you can assume you've been hit.

Unless your name is James Bond, that is.