SAFETY FEATURE : GETTING READY FOR SCRUTINEERING
Are your gloves in good condition ?
Check the dates on safety equipment
Bay watch
As we move towards the opening race meeting of the 2021 season , here are a few reminders from our chief scrutineers Mathew Lambkin-Smith and Nigel Edwards
Firstly , on the assumption that the selfcertification process , introduced as part of the COVID changes last season , continues for some time into 2021 , we cannot emphasise the importance to us all of doing this carefully .
With any issue regarding scrutineering and vehicle safety , now is the time to check it out and not on the morning of the first race meeting of the season . The best way to raise any issues or questions you may have is by e-mail to : mathew _ lambkinsmith @ hotmail . com or nigelcedwards @ hotmail . com .
Scrutineering spring-clean There are no major new safety or technical regulations in the Motorsport UK ’ s 2021 Yearbook relevant to HSCC members – as the only major new section is page 156 Section J Appx . 2 ‘ Regulations for Electrified Vehicles ’, which for the HSCC probably only
Check the roll-hoop clearance applies to Ernie in his 1971 Period G ‘ fastest milk float in the West ’!
Consequently , before the season starts , spring is a great time for competitors to check ( and rectify if necessary ) existing MSUK safety items that have a time expiry ( harnesses , helmets , fire extinguishers ). It is doubly important that you do this thoroughly in these COVID19 restricted times , as your scrutineers are very restricted by current COVID guidelines in what they are allowed to do themselves .
Helmet standards Check the standards label inside your helmet . The only recent helmet standard that expired at the end of 2020 was FIA 8860-2004 ( with a white label ). All the valid FIA ( white or gold labels ) and SNELL ( orange labels ) helmet standards are listed on Yearbook page 178 and pictured on page 189 .
Harnesses Each belt of FIA homologated harnesses is marked with a ‘ Not valid after …’ label l check that this extends at least to 2021 .
Fire extinguishers “ These must be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer ’ s guidelines , or every 24 months , whichever is sooner .” ( per Yearbook page 172 Section K 3 ) – so check that the bottle was last serviced not earlier than April 2019 . Some manufacturers only give their systems a fixed life , beyond which they will not be serviced any more . If this is the case with your existing system you will need to buy a new one . Please note that MSUK introduced last year a dedicated section on fire extinguishers ( page 208 Section K Appendix 3 ) that originally applied to newly-built competition cars and will apply to all cars from 2022 .
The key items in this appendix for cars needing a plumbed-in system ( i . e . post 1965 ) are that : l “ the vehicle must be equipped with an extinguishing system in compliance with FIA Standard for plumbed-in Fire Extinguisher Systems in Competition Cars ( 1999 ) or with FIA Standard 8865- 2015 ” and also that : l the earlier ‘ over-centre ’ bottle clips will no longer be acceptable . “ It must be secured by a minimum of 2 screwlocked metallic straps and the securing system must be able to withstand a deceleration of 25g .” ( which means a momentary weight of maybe 150-200kg !)
The relevant FIA Technical Lists of approved extinguishers are No 16 and No 52 , which can be found on and downloaded from the FIA ’ s web page www . fia . com / regulation / category / 761 .
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Older FIA overalls and other safety wear The following was announced by MSUK to its scrutineers on 14 January 2021 : “ Overalls approved in accordance with FIA Standard 8856-2000 that were