Important safety measures to follow for tomahawk throwing sessions

Important safety measures to follow for tomahawk throwing sessions

• Activity leaders must ensure that each person taking part has the strength and are able to do so safely according to their own training.  The age, maturity and ability of each participant should be considered.
• Only tomahawks, small hawks and other specifically designed throwing axes can be used (as outlined above).
• Throwing a hand axe, felling axe, pocket knife, penknife, sheath knife or another tool that is not purpose-built for throwing is considered very dangerous and doing so is not at all advised. The throwing of knives is specifically banned.
• Tomahawk throwing must only take place under the supervision of an appropriately knowledgeable activity leader, as outlined in the appropriate activity leader section below.
• All people throwing must wear suitable footwear and clothing to minimise the risk of any injury resulting from accidentally dropping the equipment or a rebound from the target. The wearing of appropriate clothing and footwear (such as wearing trousers or walking boots) should be part of the risk assessment.
• When transporting a tomahawk, the participant should walk and hold the tomahawk to the side of their body with sharp edges downwards and away from the body and other people.
• Only one thrower at a time is to aim at each target.
• Only one tomahawk should be thrown at a target at a time before being collected; or if using metal small hawks, a maximum of four small hawks should be thrown (at four/five 100mm spots on the target) at time before being collected.
• Participants should wait until instructed by the activity leader before retrieving the tomahawk(s).
• The activity leader is the only person who can instruct a thrower to remove a tomahawk from a target unless they have explicitly delegated or shared this responsibility.
• Any observers should be instructed to stand in a safe location by the activity leader as per the tomahawk throwing range layout
• Participants deemed to be deliberately throwing too aggressively should be managed appropriately by the activity leader to ensure their own and others safety.
• To avoid accidental head or upper body injury when retrieving tomahawks; it is important to remove tomahawks that are embedded into a target before picking up those lying on the floor.
• If any equipment is damaged it must not be used - either repair or replace the damaged item in accordance with the manufacturer of the device.
• A tomahawk should always be offered handle first to another person.
• The transport of equipment to and from a throwing area should be managed by the activity leader. Tomahawks must be stored in a locked toolbox or similar secure place when not in use and when in transit between throwing sessions.