What should range safety programs aim to minimize?

The primary goal of range safety programs is to minimize potential explosive hazards. This focus is critical because ranges involve the use of live ammunition and often other explosive materials, which present inherent risks during training exercises. By emphasizing the reduction of these hazards, range safety programs can help ensure the safety of all personnel involved, including shooters, range staff, and nearby civilians.

Proper safety measures, protocols, and training are essential to identify, assess, and mitigate these explosive dangers, which can significantly affect the overall safety outcomes on the range. Additionally, minimizing explosive hazards supports the broader mission of the Marine Corps to conduct training safely and effectively, preventing accidents and ensuring that training objectives can be met without compromising safety.

While considerations such as operational costs, administrative workload, and training duration are important aspects of running a range, they are secondary to the critical need for ensuring safety and minimizing the risks associated with the use of explosives. Thus, the foremost aim of range safety programs centers on addressing and reducing the potential for explosive hazards.