John Cassidy
11-02-2008, 06:21 PM
Per Doug's suggestion, here's a rant about team/personal safety. A bit of background on myself. I've been a Paramedic in the past and have worked in medicine here in the US as a Physician Assistant for the past 18 years.
Add to the list, discuss, question, criticize, whatever.
A bit about my competition history and perhaps a disclaimer if you like. I started rallying in 1999. I've been averaging roughly 6-7 events/season since then. Certainly young in the sport compared to others on the forum, old compared to some. I've raced in Corona Rally Mexico and Targa Newfoundland. Raced in SCCA, RA and CARS events. Co-driver Dave Getchell has raced(as a driver) in NASA events, specifically Rally NY. My car has a CARS logbook. I have often made the decision to be an early adopter of safety gear, both for the car and personal use. We have built our last two cars, "in house."
I have no specific agenda in terms of supporting a specific sanctioning body. Like most, we run events that are geographically close to me and events that we enjoy. Our agenda is for our own personal safety and that of our crew. We love rally, and want to continue doing it, even AFTER a significant off.
The LDR crew likes to think of safety from a global team level and then focus on specific areas as we prep for an event.
Prep for the next event starts on the way back home. Service crew and car crew make to-do/to-check lists on the way home. Usually plenty of time on the road.
I'll break it down by level.
1.) Mechanical car prep. This is NOT a safety gear category, but it is a safety issue. Ask yourself before you strap in and hurtle down that stage, "Is this car safe?" Have you replaced any suspect parts that were identified after your last event? Any items that need replacing based life expectancy? Wheel bearings ok? Ball joints and tierods ok? Wheels and tires ok? No fluid leaks? No hoses chaffing? You get the idea. I'll sometimes pop the hood and just stare at the engine bay for awhile, scanning to see what might fail. Play a game of what-if.
You can't prevent a mechanical failure, but you can reduce the risk by a close post-event battle damage assessment.
2.) Crew. Do you have a list of crew members' emergency contacts, medical conditions, meds, food/med allergies? Do you have a list of local emergency #s? This extends to watching the crew on event. Everybody hydrating? Everyone have their meds in the service area?
Does anyone have cell service at the event? Roaming? Do family members back home have a list of crew contacts in case they need to get ahold of someone about an emergency back home?
3.) Car safety.
a.) Spend money on car safety. I won't shy away from any flaming. Buy the best safety gear you can. Head and neck restraints, fire systems, communication systems, belt cutters etc.
b.) First Aid Kit. There are minimum requirements in both RA and CARS rulebooks. No penalty for going above and beyond. CARS requires space blankets. We have more than we need. Not a bad idea to ask your healthcare provider for a prescription for Silvadene, a great burn treatment ointment. Burns are one of the most common injuries on event. OTC Allergy med like Claritin/Zyrtec etc also good.
c.) Do you have what you need to spend a few hours in the cold if you go off? We throw in some foot/hand warmer packs(the kind you get for skiing) in the kit. Hat, gloves, coat? Shoe coverings if it's wet? Frank Sprongl is often seen with sexy rubber covers over his driving shoes at inclement events.
d.) Triangles. Buy some good ones. Remove the weight material if you want(and if it's legal), but make sure the damn things stand up. Make sure the co-driver can get to his easily and quickly. We zip tie one near the co-driver's feet and pre score the zip tie so that it breaks with a quick yank.
c.) Interior lighting. Co-driver has a lamp, but we decided to add a 3 LED push-on light that we stick to the roof as the stock interior light was removed.
d.) Headlamps. Lightweight and great for repairs. Also good for tending to others that might need your help.
e.) Jack. We've used a bunch of different home brew designs for our onboard jack in the past. We currently have a KYB. Car has fallen off the jack a couple of times and cost us a race. Make sure the jack has a jackpad that's sufficient for soft surfaces. Piece of skidplate material bolted on or a welded steel plate is good. Oh yeah, keep your gloves on when changing the flat tire. No need for third degree burns.
f.) Side sill jackstand mounts. We install our own mounts. Easy, but perhaps a bit time consuming. Much safer in service than normal jackstands. This is minimal increased cost and maximal increased safety for whoever is working around/under your car.
g.) heat/ventilation. Make sure the defrost works. If the window fogs up, most of us won't slow down too much, adding a degree of difficulty. Great vid of Gelsomino wiping the Focus' windshield at ROW in 2002-3. Crazy wet and foggy. You need to make sure the roof vent blows air where you need it-on you! If it doesn't, figure out how to make it.
h.) Side head restraint seats. Buy a set. If you can only get one, get one! There's another thread in car construction about the best cheap seat. Don't skimp. Most major seat manufacturers make a side-head restraint seat now. Most injuries to crew in an impact are from the crew's head striking each other's.
i.) Safety nets. We don't have them, but they make sense.
j.) Head and Neck Devices. They're currently required by the FIA and RA and will be for CARS in 2009. Not currently required by NRS/NASA. We use a HANS and I can attest that it minimized injury after a head-on collision with a 15" hardwood tree at the Team O'Neil Rally. We were going about 60mph in the top of 3rd gear. Entire drivetrain was pushed back about 4". And I mean everything. They work(in certain situations-debatable 'til the cows come home). Watch our vids on youtube for demonstrations we arranged for everyone! ;-) I was asked by HANS for a testimonial. My wife wasn't pleased! ;-)
k.) Belt cutters. Get TWO. Put them where you can easily reach them when buckled. Make sure they'll cut a belt.
l.) Blood type and name on helmet. A lot of folks still don't have them on there. Put them on! We use reflective decals from our decal guy. Anything to make us more visible at night outside the car. Don't forget blood type on suit. Med allergy not bad to put on the helmet as well.
m.) if the sanctioning body requires 5 point belts, but you can get 6 point, do it. The more points the better. Replace after a crash. This is often self-policing. It's a cost, but you have to do it. They stretch too much after an off.
n.) Fire system. We run a Group N FIA system in our car. Over and above, I know. I don't want to burn up! Electrically activated, either from inside or outside the car. Part of car prep to check the gauges and test the electrical trigger for function. We replace the battery yearly.
o.) Electrical. We have an FIA disconnect system. Can be disconnected from outside the car as well.
p.) Fuel cell. Pricey. Increased CG with cell up in the car. More work to fluid proof the bulkhead etc. But, safer. If you can do it, do it.
q.) Communication. HAM radio. Get a license. Get a radio. Get the event net frequencies so that you can report an emergency, either your own, or someone else's There'll be lots of debate about proper net procedure on this, but trauma has the, "golden hour," from time of injury to definitive treatment. Definitive treatment is a trauma center. We're often way away. If you can call net control instead of driving to the next radio point(do both), you may activate EMS 5-10 minutes sooner than would have happened without the radio. The obvious application in terms of notifying service go without saying. We've been able to notify our service crew of other team's issues so that their teams can either prep for their arrival or gear up to recover the car.
Personal Safety/Health
a.) Tim O'Neil told me years ago, "If you get out of bed on race day, stub your toe and cut yourself shaving, you better slow down!" :-) Know where you're at physically and mentally. Are you tired, dehydrated, angry, trying to catch someone you probably won't?
b.) Hydrate. Drink until your urine is clear. You may not be able to drink enough on a hot rally.
c.) Consider a cool suit. I know, they're expensive. If you've ever used one on a hot rally, you can't believe the efficiency at cooling you down. Decreased fatigue and increased mental focus. Sure, there's a weight penalty, but both of you can share one cooler.
d.) Talk to each other. Look out for each other in the car and in service. Ask how the other person is doing. If you're a co-driver and you're feeling sick, don't keep it from your driver. If you have a headache, tell someone and take something for it. Slow down!
Service
a.) Communication! Service crew needs to communicate. Speak clearly and at an audible(loud) volume. The person on the jack is in control of the movement of the car on the jack. "Clear," "Going up," "Coming down," whatever you prefer to use. Crew installing jackstands need to find a phrase to let the jack person know your jackstand is in or out. Once your jack is in, "IN!" Once it's out, "Clear!"
Communication prevents injuries.
Food
Some people don't eat on event. This is crazy. I know, some people say if they eat anything, they'll get sick. If that's the case, go with fluid and electrolyte replacement. Your body needs calories/glucose to function.
I'm no nutritionist, but here's what works for us. Dave and I like to keep it light. We hydrate with water/gatorade in service. We hydrate in the car with Camelback water devices zip tied to the back of the seats. Refill at every service. Drink, drink, DRINK!
Carb loading a few days before an event is not a bad idea. We've been using Powerbars lately, along with Powerbars' energy gel. Sickly sweet, but has electrolytes, glucose and a bit of caffeine. Avoid soda, candy. Bland fruits are a good source of glucose. Bananas don't tend to come up! ;-)
Energy drinks do nothing to enhance performance in the car in either seat. In the book, "Fit for Motorsport," out of the UK, there's a section that indicates that most of the WRC teams did their own testing and found them to be of now performance benefit.
Add to the list, discuss, question, criticize, whatever.
A bit about my competition history and perhaps a disclaimer if you like. I started rallying in 1999. I've been averaging roughly 6-7 events/season since then. Certainly young in the sport compared to others on the forum, old compared to some. I've raced in Corona Rally Mexico and Targa Newfoundland. Raced in SCCA, RA and CARS events. Co-driver Dave Getchell has raced(as a driver) in NASA events, specifically Rally NY. My car has a CARS logbook. I have often made the decision to be an early adopter of safety gear, both for the car and personal use. We have built our last two cars, "in house."
I have no specific agenda in terms of supporting a specific sanctioning body. Like most, we run events that are geographically close to me and events that we enjoy. Our agenda is for our own personal safety and that of our crew. We love rally, and want to continue doing it, even AFTER a significant off.
The LDR crew likes to think of safety from a global team level and then focus on specific areas as we prep for an event.
Prep for the next event starts on the way back home. Service crew and car crew make to-do/to-check lists on the way home. Usually plenty of time on the road.
I'll break it down by level.
1.) Mechanical car prep. This is NOT a safety gear category, but it is a safety issue. Ask yourself before you strap in and hurtle down that stage, "Is this car safe?" Have you replaced any suspect parts that were identified after your last event? Any items that need replacing based life expectancy? Wheel bearings ok? Ball joints and tierods ok? Wheels and tires ok? No fluid leaks? No hoses chaffing? You get the idea. I'll sometimes pop the hood and just stare at the engine bay for awhile, scanning to see what might fail. Play a game of what-if.
You can't prevent a mechanical failure, but you can reduce the risk by a close post-event battle damage assessment.
2.) Crew. Do you have a list of crew members' emergency contacts, medical conditions, meds, food/med allergies? Do you have a list of local emergency #s? This extends to watching the crew on event. Everybody hydrating? Everyone have their meds in the service area?
Does anyone have cell service at the event? Roaming? Do family members back home have a list of crew contacts in case they need to get ahold of someone about an emergency back home?
3.) Car safety.
a.) Spend money on car safety. I won't shy away from any flaming. Buy the best safety gear you can. Head and neck restraints, fire systems, communication systems, belt cutters etc.
b.) First Aid Kit. There are minimum requirements in both RA and CARS rulebooks. No penalty for going above and beyond. CARS requires space blankets. We have more than we need. Not a bad idea to ask your healthcare provider for a prescription for Silvadene, a great burn treatment ointment. Burns are one of the most common injuries on event. OTC Allergy med like Claritin/Zyrtec etc also good.
c.) Do you have what you need to spend a few hours in the cold if you go off? We throw in some foot/hand warmer packs(the kind you get for skiing) in the kit. Hat, gloves, coat? Shoe coverings if it's wet? Frank Sprongl is often seen with sexy rubber covers over his driving shoes at inclement events.
d.) Triangles. Buy some good ones. Remove the weight material if you want(and if it's legal), but make sure the damn things stand up. Make sure the co-driver can get to his easily and quickly. We zip tie one near the co-driver's feet and pre score the zip tie so that it breaks with a quick yank.
c.) Interior lighting. Co-driver has a lamp, but we decided to add a 3 LED push-on light that we stick to the roof as the stock interior light was removed.
d.) Headlamps. Lightweight and great for repairs. Also good for tending to others that might need your help.
e.) Jack. We've used a bunch of different home brew designs for our onboard jack in the past. We currently have a KYB. Car has fallen off the jack a couple of times and cost us a race. Make sure the jack has a jackpad that's sufficient for soft surfaces. Piece of skidplate material bolted on or a welded steel plate is good. Oh yeah, keep your gloves on when changing the flat tire. No need for third degree burns.
f.) Side sill jackstand mounts. We install our own mounts. Easy, but perhaps a bit time consuming. Much safer in service than normal jackstands. This is minimal increased cost and maximal increased safety for whoever is working around/under your car.
g.) heat/ventilation. Make sure the defrost works. If the window fogs up, most of us won't slow down too much, adding a degree of difficulty. Great vid of Gelsomino wiping the Focus' windshield at ROW in 2002-3. Crazy wet and foggy. You need to make sure the roof vent blows air where you need it-on you! If it doesn't, figure out how to make it.
h.) Side head restraint seats. Buy a set. If you can only get one, get one! There's another thread in car construction about the best cheap seat. Don't skimp. Most major seat manufacturers make a side-head restraint seat now. Most injuries to crew in an impact are from the crew's head striking each other's.
i.) Safety nets. We don't have them, but they make sense.
j.) Head and Neck Devices. They're currently required by the FIA and RA and will be for CARS in 2009. Not currently required by NRS/NASA. We use a HANS and I can attest that it minimized injury after a head-on collision with a 15" hardwood tree at the Team O'Neil Rally. We were going about 60mph in the top of 3rd gear. Entire drivetrain was pushed back about 4". And I mean everything. They work(in certain situations-debatable 'til the cows come home). Watch our vids on youtube for demonstrations we arranged for everyone! ;-) I was asked by HANS for a testimonial. My wife wasn't pleased! ;-)
k.) Belt cutters. Get TWO. Put them where you can easily reach them when buckled. Make sure they'll cut a belt.
l.) Blood type and name on helmet. A lot of folks still don't have them on there. Put them on! We use reflective decals from our decal guy. Anything to make us more visible at night outside the car. Don't forget blood type on suit. Med allergy not bad to put on the helmet as well.
m.) if the sanctioning body requires 5 point belts, but you can get 6 point, do it. The more points the better. Replace after a crash. This is often self-policing. It's a cost, but you have to do it. They stretch too much after an off.
n.) Fire system. We run a Group N FIA system in our car. Over and above, I know. I don't want to burn up! Electrically activated, either from inside or outside the car. Part of car prep to check the gauges and test the electrical trigger for function. We replace the battery yearly.
o.) Electrical. We have an FIA disconnect system. Can be disconnected from outside the car as well.
p.) Fuel cell. Pricey. Increased CG with cell up in the car. More work to fluid proof the bulkhead etc. But, safer. If you can do it, do it.
q.) Communication. HAM radio. Get a license. Get a radio. Get the event net frequencies so that you can report an emergency, either your own, or someone else's There'll be lots of debate about proper net procedure on this, but trauma has the, "golden hour," from time of injury to definitive treatment. Definitive treatment is a trauma center. We're often way away. If you can call net control instead of driving to the next radio point(do both), you may activate EMS 5-10 minutes sooner than would have happened without the radio. The obvious application in terms of notifying service go without saying. We've been able to notify our service crew of other team's issues so that their teams can either prep for their arrival or gear up to recover the car.
Personal Safety/Health
a.) Tim O'Neil told me years ago, "If you get out of bed on race day, stub your toe and cut yourself shaving, you better slow down!" :-) Know where you're at physically and mentally. Are you tired, dehydrated, angry, trying to catch someone you probably won't?
b.) Hydrate. Drink until your urine is clear. You may not be able to drink enough on a hot rally.
c.) Consider a cool suit. I know, they're expensive. If you've ever used one on a hot rally, you can't believe the efficiency at cooling you down. Decreased fatigue and increased mental focus. Sure, there's a weight penalty, but both of you can share one cooler.
d.) Talk to each other. Look out for each other in the car and in service. Ask how the other person is doing. If you're a co-driver and you're feeling sick, don't keep it from your driver. If you have a headache, tell someone and take something for it. Slow down!
Service
a.) Communication! Service crew needs to communicate. Speak clearly and at an audible(loud) volume. The person on the jack is in control of the movement of the car on the jack. "Clear," "Going up," "Coming down," whatever you prefer to use. Crew installing jackstands need to find a phrase to let the jack person know your jackstand is in or out. Once your jack is in, "IN!" Once it's out, "Clear!"
Communication prevents injuries.
Food
Some people don't eat on event. This is crazy. I know, some people say if they eat anything, they'll get sick. If that's the case, go with fluid and electrolyte replacement. Your body needs calories/glucose to function.
I'm no nutritionist, but here's what works for us. Dave and I like to keep it light. We hydrate with water/gatorade in service. We hydrate in the car with Camelback water devices zip tied to the back of the seats. Refill at every service. Drink, drink, DRINK!
Carb loading a few days before an event is not a bad idea. We've been using Powerbars lately, along with Powerbars' energy gel. Sickly sweet, but has electrolytes, glucose and a bit of caffeine. Avoid soda, candy. Bland fruits are a good source of glucose. Bananas don't tend to come up! ;-)
Energy drinks do nothing to enhance performance in the car in either seat. In the book, "Fit for Motorsport," out of the UK, there's a section that indicates that most of the WRC teams did their own testing and found them to be of now performance benefit.