A military agency is preparing a report on safety of soldiers participating in military exercises.

You were asked to contribute. Use the recent accident of a Polish soldier as an example to outline
the problem of personal safety during military exercises. Write a report 1) describing the accident
and its causes, 2) analyzing reasons for other accidents which happen during military exercises
and 3) suggesting ways of improving the situation. Write between 200 -250 words. Remember not
to copy the exact phrasing of the task instructions and input! Otherwise, you will be penalised.

MP Report Information
About AccidentTime: 5.30 a.m.
Victim: Private Kowalski
gunshot wounds to the
chestWeather conditions: fog,
heavy rain poor
visibilityCause: another soldiers
mistake
Another Accident During Military Exercises At Drawsko

Fog Or Human Error MP Investigation Is Underway

Soldier Fatally Shot During Live-Fire Training

(Press Headlines)
VARIOUS SOLDIERS OPINIONS:

This weapon is to blame. Its so old. How can you feel safe using it?

Ways of Improving the Situation:

(MOD expert suggestions)
better exercise organization
stricter supervision
training in weapons safety regulations
money for equipment
more time for specialized training
training for commanders and HQ staff

And this equipment is too complicated to use. We need more specialized

training.
We shouldnt have been there! But that was our commanders order.
They say the guy who shot knew nothing about weapons safety rules. How come?

REPORT:
Report on the security and safety on the training areas in Poland

Accident description: Recently another fatal accident has happened at the Drawsko military training
area. According to the Military Police report, Private Kowalski was accidentally shot by another
soldier. The accident happened early in the morning in poor weather conditions. Acting in the fog
and the heavy rain, Private Kowalski was fatally wounded in the chest. Judging from the preliminary
MP investigation reports it seems to have been an unintentional gunshot.

ANALYSIS: Having in mind the official explanation from the MP report, the soldiers opinions reinforce
the investigation findings. Some soldiers testimonies underline the fact that the weapon used by
them is old, unreliable and hazardous. The others claimed that their equipment is too complicated
and many hours should be spent on special trainings to operate it properly. Some more also said
that the situation was caused by the wrong orders given by the unit commander. Last but not least,
weapon safety rules were not followed by the soldier who caused the accident.

REMEDY:

A set of actions should be undertaken to stop the accidents death toll from rising; within 15 years it
doubled. The crucial point is to improve the exercises organization and supervision. More frequent
inspections will help keep the safety on steady level. Additional controls should start from the highest
level to the units downrange. Finally, additional money should be allocated for the new equipment
and specialized trainings.