washington ? the authorities issued sharp warnings on wednesday to paintball gun customers, pronouncing new safety measures even as investigations preserve into two deaths because of canisters flying off the weapons.
the customer product safety commission stated each deaths befell after brass valves unscrewed from the pressurized carbon dioxide canisters on the guns, which turned the canisters into projectiles.
in june 2003, a fifteen-year-antique boy from washington kingdom died after the canister he was casting off struck him within the head, the commission said. in february, a california mom of became instantly killed with the aid of a canister that propelled off a gun a person became disassembling close by.
spokesman eric criss said officials did now not problem a warning after the primary demise because no longer enough information become available on the time to understand the purpose.
criss stated the investigations should be concluded in some months. a product might be recalled if issues are traced to a unmarried producer. the government could also call for voluntary or mandatory regulations for all producers.
bob mcguire, president of the tennessee-based totally american paintball league, said he was hoping the new warnings would encourage people to grow to be higher educated on how to effectively eliminate the canisters, which is important to save the weapons or replenish them.
mcguire said they had been aware of a “twist-off possibility” for a while however that the odds of such occurrences had been far flung, particularly whilst qualified specialists have been managing the weapons. he stated he knew of other times of canisters flying off but handiest when green humans attempted to get rid of them.
The commission also suggested:
l the canister meeting have to unscrew from the paintball gun in approximately three or four full turns. if you finish the fourth full turn and the canister isn’t always unscrewed from the gun, forestall! take it to a expert.
l a few people have used paint or nail polish to mark the valve and canister a good way to see that they rotate collectively even as being removed.
robert scott, proprietor of twisted paintball in modesto, calif., manufactures and sells paintball equipment. the client product protection fee warned wednesday that canisters flying off the weapons can motive injury or maybe demise. two human beings have died in such incidents within the final year.
