Sir, - Col E.D. Doyle may be correct in his statement that each soldier on the range fires roughly 150 rounds a year (Opinion, December 3rd). But this is a somewhat simplistic view. No soldier fires in isolation. Each individual on the range is exposed to all the rounds fired on the range on that day. With, say 20 firers, this can be as many as 3,000 rounds a day, using Col Doyles calculations. If a soldier is any good he will then end up on a shooting team which will expose him to all the rounds used there as well. Similarly, the statement about it being "part of Army life" does no justice to anyone. Factory workers are exposed to daily hazards, but factory workers' safety has been protected since at least 1904. Technicians at Air Lingus, for example, are potentially exposed to noise levels from jet engines which are greater than those from rifles, but no one expects them to work without hearing protection. If this problem was simple it would have been dealt with long ago. Unfortunately, for everyone involved, there are no simple solutions to this one.
Liam Byrne (MIOSH),
Meadowbrook, Athlone, Co Westmeath.