The intent of the safety plan is to avoid incidents involving injury to personnel and property damage during WDCR Solo events held at FedEx Field. A copy of this plan will be posted at event registration and made available online.
This plan, and the safety requirements provided under the SOLO RULES, serves as a foundation for a proactive program of safety awareness and site safety supervision. Although specific personnel are assigned duties involving the enforcement of safety requirements, safety is the responsibility of every event official, participant, and non-participant attending the events.

GENERAL

The safety program supporting the WDCR SOLO events must walk line between being too restrictive, and unjustifiably generating an adverse impact upon the premier autocross events that are held inthe Eastern United States, or being too lax and becoming a factor that may allow an incident. Sound judgment, knowledge of the principles of safety, and the SOLO RULES, a strong vein of cautiousness, negotiation, coordination and, at times compromise, must be applied in order support the successful completion of competition, while reducing risk. As the WDCR Solo events are the pinnacle of SOLO Regional competition, competitors will be pushing their abilities, and the capabilities of their equipment and the courses, looking for that ever elusive WDCR Solo Championship trophy. This situation can be offset by a prevention based safety plan, executed cheerfully, but with a critical eye for those conditions that could lead to an incident. The mission is to interdict any chain of events that could lead to an incident, before the incident can occur.

Anyone observing a safety problem or an incident will report the situation to the Chief Safety Steward, or one of the assistant safety stewards as soon as possible. Anyone injured,or realizing property damage on the site will immediately report it to an event official. All incidents will be reported to the Chief Safety Steward.
Safety steward coverage for WDCR Solo events will be provided by a staff of qualified personnel consisting of a Chief Safety Steward and at least one assistant safety steward. This level-of staffing must be employed at all times during competition. In addition to this staffing, additional Assistant Chief Safety Stewards may be employed to allow the Chief Safety Steward the ability to compete in the event and/or to take part in other event activities.
1. Role of the Chief Safety Steward (and Assistant Chief Safety Stewards, if employed):
  - Provide a proactive, user friendly, program of safe controls and standards leading to the reduction of risk, to an acceptable degree, for competitors, course workers, event officials, and spectators.
  - Provide observations/recommendations on paddock / grid arrangement & control.
  - Brief subordinate safety stewards on their duties and the standards they are expected to achieve.
  - Hold periodic reviews of key safety issues with event officials.
  - Respond to all incidents and supervise incident clearance and completion of required documentation by the safety steward assigned to that area of responsibility.
  - Verify that the insurance certificate has been issued for the event and is on site.
  - Ensure that provisions are in place supporting completion of waiver requirements.
2. In order to provide safety support during WDCR Solo events, the Chief Safety Steward will be provided at least one qualified assistant during each heat. One of the Chief Safety Steward and the assistant will support the course and the other one of the Chief Safety Steward and the assistant will patrol the site area other than the course including the grid area and the paddock, with specific responsibility for the area between the paddock and the course area.
3. Safety stewards will wear the SCCA Safety Steward hat, or other approved apparel that immediately identifies their official status.
4. A functional waiver program is the responsibility of the Event Chairman. However, it is the responsibility of the Safety Steward to ensure that a functional waiver program is in place and fully operational. The safety steward staff will observe competitors and spectators to ensure they have completed the waiver requirements. Personnel observed without the event identification wristband will complete a waiver carried by the patrolling safety steward and be issued a wristband at that time. Minors observed on site without a wristband will be escorted to the information booth. Personnel at the information booth will assist in gaining verification that the required minor release form has been filed with event registration, or assist in gaining completion of the required minor release form.
5. The Chief Safety Steward may issue formal warnings to any personnel on the site to correct safety related problems or issues. Should a formal warning not correct the problem, or should the problem be of such a severe nature as to require immediate and decisive action, the Chief Safety Steward will coordinate with the Event Chairman to gain decisive corrective action. This action may include additional work assignments, termination of event entry, and/or removal from the site.
Skate boards (motorized or manual, with or without stand-uphandlebars), roller blades and roller skates (motorized or manual) are prohibited from use in all areas of the event site. Should questions arise, the Chief Safety Steward, following guidance from the Event Chairman, will make decisions on different configurations, observed or presented, of "skateboards, go peds, etc." to determine if they will be allowed.
Photographers, film or video, desiring to enter the course area must gain clearance from the Chief Safety Steward. All such personnel must have a knowledgeable spotter who is responsible for keeping the photographer from inadvertently becoming endangered by a competing car.
Speeds in the event site administrative areas will be limited to 15 MPH and 5 MPH in the paddock, and grid areas.
The consumption of alcohol anywhere on the event site at anytime is strictly prohibited. In order to prevent a nill-conceived perception, alcoholic beverages should not be visible anywhere on the site during competition.
Inventive, annoying, and potentially dangerous techniques to clean or warm tires, test brakes or suspension systems, or other real or imagined needs, have in the past been employed in the paddock area, on the road between paddock and grid, and even in grid. This situation has caused spectators to be less than attentive to the movement of other traffic and generated the risk of an incident due to car or driver failure, or inattentive actions by a spectator. The use of quick and/or frequent stop and go actions, the rapid and frequent application of brakes and/or gas, and/or other unusual driving techniques with the intent of cleaning or heating tires, testing brakes, etc., is prohibited throughout the event site. Cars moving between the paddock area and the general area of the grid or course will be moved in a slow, "steady," and safe manner.
The event chairman will produce maps of the course and grid areas, paddock area, and a general map of the entire event site. These maps will be provided to the Chief Safety Steward for planning site control and incident documentation. These maps must identify the positive barriers employed to provide site control, fences and roping and approved spectator areas.
Vendors with materials or processes that involve flammable materials must provide and station functional fire fighting equipment for their operation. Vendors with materials or process that involve or generate hazardous waste must have functional operating procedures to ensure that no contamination is realized at the event site. Should contamination occur, a rapid and complete (and legal) clean-up process must be immediately completed by the vendor. Vendors dispensing fuels will ensure that no fuel is placed into glass containers.
Cars may not be in the air while in gear and the motor running for any reason, including tire shaving. A special exemption may be received in advance from the Chief Solo Safety Steward for F440/500s.
Personnel will not crawl under (partially or completely) any vehicle that is held up by jacking equipment. In the event it is necessary to "get under" a vehicle, serviceable jack stands will be employed to stabilize the vehicle. As the paddock area consists of fairly fresh asphalt, all jacking operations must employ boards under the jack to provide a stable platform, and to prevent damage to the surface area.
Children and pets are allowed throughout the event site. However, during competition, all grid and course areas are off limits for children who are not competing and pets. Pets must be on a retained leash at all times.
Pressurized gas bottles exceeding a 200-PSI capability must have protective structures around the valve/gauge area.

PADDOCK

The event chairman is responsible for the posting of fire fighting equipment in the paddock area to handle fuel, or other type fires.
The disposal of hazardous materials is not authorized on the event site. The owner must remove oils, fuels, tires, batteries, etc., from the site. Oils and fuels will not be disposed of in the site drainage systems or garbage containers.
A first aid capability (for minor injuries) will be provided at the Registration Tent. At a minimum, this capability will include water for cooling heat injuries, general materials for minor first aid (cuts and scrapes), sunburn prevention, and first aid lotions/creams. Additionally, the personnel manning this area must be able to summon emergency medical and fire assistance. It is recommended that CPR qualified personnel (at least one) man the Registration Tent and be provided with the needed equipment and supplies to perform CPR. The personnel manning the Registration Tent will document all first aid actions, regardless of how slight the injury. This documentation, at a minimum, will include, name, address, age, sex, SCCA member number, location and type of injury, first aid provided, time, date, and cause of injury. This data will be provided at the end of each day to the Chief Safety Steward, who, following review, will provide the data to the event chairman for filing with the event waivers.

GRID

The organization of the grid area must provide for the safety of personnel and the easy movement of competing cars. This will require clearly marked grid lanes and grid parking areas, that are wide enough to allow single turning movement entrance or exit. Generally, a 15x15 ft space is recommended fora grid parking space. Organization of the grid area will consider the location of fixed objects, deep depressions (drain grates), and other fixtures that impact on the easy movement of competing cars into, or out of the gird. These conditions generate safety impacts that must be avoided.
It is recommended that competitors voluntarily reduce the amount of fuel within the grid area. Hot cars, smoking and fuels/fueling operations in a congested area generate all the right conditions for a very serious situation. Competitors that must conduct fueling operations in grid should have someone standing watch with a fire extinguisher of at least 5BC rating and be removed a safe distance from other cars.
Non-competing motorized vehicles are prohibited from entering and/or parking in the grid area. Competitors who elect to stock their grid space with large amounts of equipment and social amenities, must do so without the aid of a motorized support vehicle. Grid areas must remain as clear as possible to support the safe movement of competing cars, competitors, and crews.
Grid marshals will be employed to control and direct the movement of competing cars and maintain order in the grid area.The gird marshals will have immediate access to fire extinguishers and absorbent materials for the containment and clean up of oil or fuel spills.
During movement from grid to the starting line, no tire spins will be allowed. This includes all movement techniques that generate a loss of traction on the drive wheels.

COURSE

Design: Course design must meet the requirements established for the safety of competitors and spectators, and the avoidance of property damage as identified in the SOLO RULES.
1. Of key interest in the safety of course design are the requirements for a minimum of 50 feet clearance from a fixed object and 75 ft clearance from participants and/or non-participants. These minimum distances must be extended when dealing with any portion of the course that may induce a competing car to spin or otherwise depart from the intended path of the course. Additional stand-off distance is prudent at all "pressure points" in the course.
2. The finish should not lead a competing car toward unprotected spectators. Care must be given for sufficient run-off in the event of a stuck throttle or brake failure. Although the need is recognized for a tight turn, or other course feature to induce slower speeds at the finish, care must be given not to upset the general balance of a car at this critical portion of the course. Competitors nearing the finish are looking for that last little burst of speed, regardless of the course design. It is human nature to"push it" at this point, and course design must avoid establishing conditions that lead to inadvertent departures from course, possible roll over incidents, damage to property (timing lights and competing cars), and that generally taint the overall perception of the course and the event. Following the finish lights, course design should provide as much straight braking area as possible. It should be noted that some competing cars have a limited ability to rapidly reduce forward speeds while negotiating turning maneuvers.
3. The course design must provide for event safety during all possible weather conditions that may be realized during the event. In fact, the course should be designed to handle worse case scenarios; a rain slick surface, which increases the threat of uncontrolled spins and a dry surface, which generates the potential for higher speeds.
A final visual inspection will be conducted prior to the grid releasing a car to the start line. This check will include a visual inspection of the driver's helmet, (on & secured), belts (on and secure), and loose objects in driver/passenger,technical inspection sticker, doors/hood secured, and obvious fluid leaks. Conversation, or "hands on" effort should be avoided during this quickly completed visual check. A get ready signal should be given before the previous car reaches the release point.
The Event Chairperson will clearly identify and instruct the starter on the release point that is to be reached by the car on course before the next car is released from the start line. This procedure is required to establish a separation distance for cars on course and prevent an overly aggressive, or timid starter from establishing their own release point.
Course workers
1. Course worker stations will be located and clearly marked by the course designer, and approved by the Chief Safety Steward. Course worker stations will be located away from pressure points or other threat producing elements of the course, provide adequate escape routes from competing cars that depart the course and an unobstructed vision of their area of course responsibility. Each course worker station will have a means of communication with the responsible event official, a red flag, a serviceable fire extinguisher, and, if possible, drinking water.
2. Course workers will be briefed on the following:
  - Never turn their back on a car that is on course.
  - Remain standing while a car is on course
  - Red flag to be kept in hand, held tightly against the leg, ready for immediate deployment
  - Risk of running to/from a pylon when a car is approaching
  - Risk of burn from hot parts dropped on course
  - Observing/reporting oil or other fluids on course
  - Observe for, report, and take immediate action to prevent or identify and control unauthorized personnel entering the course area
3. Cameras will not be taken on to the course area by course workers.
4. Course workers shall not talk on a cell phone while on course.
5. Course workers must plan and be prepared for a lengthy exposure to sun/rain, wind, and heat/cold while on station.
The spectator control line between the timing and scoring vehicle and the start area must provide for unobstructed viewing of the starting area by timing and scoring officials.

NON-PARTICIPANT CONTROL

The definition of a non-participant, for the purpose of this plan, is anyone who is not actively engaged in SOLO competition.

Non-participant parking areas should be clearly identified.
Any personnel observing young children apparently unattended or not under direct control of an adult will notify an event official. That official will take immediate action to control the children until the adult escort can be located. Should the adult escort not be readily located the children will be escorted to the information booth where they will be retained until the adult escort is found.

EMERGENCY SITUATION SUPPORT

The Registration Tent will serve as a general clearing station and initial point of assistance for minor injuries (first aid and assistance in gaining follow-on medical care), and more serious situations requiring emergency response for medical or fire fighting assets.
The information booth will maintain a listing of emergency contact telephone numbers for medical (ambulance) support, and the fire department, and heavy lift wrecker support. This procedure will allow rapid response to an incident occurring on the site during non-competing hours. Emergency contact numbers will be provided to the attending competitors if requested. All situations requiring emergency support will be reported to the chief safety steward as soon as possible.
Severe weather conditions.
1. Lightning: Should air-to-ground lightning be observed approaching the event site, personnel must be directed to take shelter to avoid risk of serious injury. Acceptable shelters from lightning include inside a vehicle or building, or under a constructed shelter. Course workers, because of their location, are at risk and must be protected by early warning and reaction to approaching lightning. Should the day's weather forecast include the threat of lightning, the course workers should be briefed that in the event that conditions appear conducive for lightning, and they feel the hair on their arms or head standing away from their body, they must immediately drop to the ground. The only known advance warning of a direct lightning impact is a sudden increase in static electrical charge. This charge will cause the body hair to stand away from the body. Lightning can actually begin on the ground and then radiate into the air. This is a highly prevalent condition in wide-open, flat areas. Lightning is a serious threat that generates many deaths each year. Although the inclination will be to continue the event, even through a thunder and lightning storm, the safety of all personnel on site must take a priority role. The proper reaction to a lightning threat is to suspend competition and direct personnel to take shelter until the danger passes. If an error in safety is to be committed, let that error be over-reaction to lightning threat. SOLO is conducted in wide-open areas where we are at high risk during a thunderstorm.
  - Thunderstorms and the associated lightning cause an average of 200 deaths and many times more injuries in the U.S. every year.
  - The average lightning stroke is 5-6 miles long. A lightning stroke is incredibly powerful; up to 30-million volts at 1000,000 amps flow in less than 1/10 of a second.
  - The average thunderstorm is 6-10 miles wide and moves at a rate of 25 miles per hour.
  - Once the leading edge of a thunderstorm approaches to within 10 miles, you are at immediate risk due to the possibility of lightning strokes coming from the storm's overhanging anvil cloud. This is the reason many lightning deaths and injuries occur with clear skies over-head.
  - On average, the thunder from a lightning stroke can only be heard over a distance of 3-4 miles, depending on terrain, humidity and background noise around you. By the time you can hear the thunder; the storm has already approached to within 3-4 miles.
  - The sudden cold wind that many people use to gauge the approach of a thunderstorm is the result of downdrafts and usually extends less than 3 miles from the storm's leading edge. By the time you feel the wind, the storm can be less than 3 miles away.
  - Approximately 1000,000 thunderstorms occur in the U.S. every year. Approximately 10% of all thunderstorms are severe enough to produce high winds, flash floods and tornadoes.
2. Damaging hail: Should the weather forecast indicate a threat of hail of sufficient size to generate risk of injury, the event staff must be ready to react to the conditions indicating the approach of potential hailstorms. Normally associated with a thunderstorm, hail can reach a velocity of over 32 feet per second and cause severe injury to exposed personnel. Taking shelter under a sturdy (hard) roof is the only acceptable manner in which to avoid risk from hail generated injury.
3. Windstorm: High velocity winds from tornadoes or other weather phenomenon generate immediate risk of life or limb. In the event of a storm "watch" condition, indicating that conditions are present that could generate a severe windstorm condition, all event officials will be notified and procedures reviewed for implementation should the watch be upgraded to a "warning." A warning indicates a severe weather is approaching, and will affect the general geographic area of the event site. In the event of an approaching storm with damaging winds, or a tornado warning condition, competition should be suspended and personnel directed to shelter until the danger passes. Most injuries attributed to high wind conditions are caused by blowing debris. An enclosed vehicle may provide protection from wind driven debris generated by thunderstorms. However, the extremely high winds associated with a tornado present sufficient force to overturn, and roll a vehicle. In the event of a tornado, or other severe windstorm condition, personnel on site will be directed to take shelter in the buildings surrounding the event site, including the event registration area. Remaining in a car, enclosed trailer, or motor home is an unacceptable procedure during a severe windstorm.

COMMUNICATIONS

The event chairman will ensure that sufficient communications equipment and supporting power supplies are available for use to support course control, safety steward coordination and emergency situation response and support. All assigned safety stewards must have functional radio equipment supporting contact with the Chief Safety Steward, and the Chief Safety Steward's contact with the Event Chairman.
PA system coverage should be established for the grid area. This system, employed from the timing van, can provide information on special interest items, "news flash" course information, and provide guidance in case of severe weather conditions.
As the Registration Tent will serve as a central point of entry for personnel reporting incidents or problems, personnel manning this booth must be able to communicate with the safety steward staff.

WAIVERS

Although primarily an administrative responsibility held by the event chairman, the Safety Steward will ensure the waiver requirement is being met. All personnel entering the site will sign the waiver and be issued a wristband.
The Chief Safety Steward will ensure that the event chairman is aware of the long term filing of the waivers, per current SCCA requirements. It is recommended that the waivers be filed with a cover sheet identifying the key personnel involved in the design, set-up and control of the event, weather on race days, number of entries, a statement about anything unusual occurring during the event, a copy or the event insurance certificate, and the first aid service data provided by the information booth personnel.
Personnel manning the gate are required to be SCCA members and should be briefed on how to obtain signatures on the waivers, the necessity to witness each page, and how to obtain and/or review minor waivers.

INCIDENT RESPONSE

It is critical that incidents be rapidly cleared in order to avoid delay of critical event activities, and to return the site to a "normal status." Although the need for rapid action is fully recognized it is absolutely necessary to ensure that all needed data is gained and required documentation completed before the incident site is disturbed.
Supplies and equipment supporting rapid documentation of an incident should be maintained by the Chief Safety Steward. It is recommended, but not required, that an incident kit be positioned at the timing van. This kit should contain five sets of incident reporting forms, a clip board, a pad of paper and ball point pen, a 100 foot tape measure, graph paper and several course (or paddock maps). It is recommended that the incident kit also contain a small disposable 35mm camera.

NOTES

The data and recommendations presented by this safety plan provide a foundation from which the safety stewards will implement a functional program of incident avoidance. This plan is not all inclusive and additional safety supporting procedures may be developed and implemented during the event. Where safety is concerned, there is no excuse for knowing something to be wrong, or risk generating, and ignoring the situation because it is not spelled out in writing somewhere. SOLO Safety is not a game of semantics or rule bending. It must be a living program balancing the needs of a highly competitive motor sport, with the realities of safety and risk reduction.