Insurance

I've been discussing insurance with PD for a while now and just checked up about the game Chris Hodgson is planning at the Spanby, Linc. site.
And this is pertinent to CiA games run at non-airsoft sites too...

The official line:
AFRA insurance will give a player (who has properly informed AFRA of game attendance and completed a risk assessment) Public Liability Insurance. That is to say, insurance against the risk of claim from another player or other party in case of loss or injury. If CiA hire a site from an airsoft site owner then the CiA organisers will be covered by the site's insurance should there be a claim against one of the CiA organisers. It is not deemed to be a commercial venture on CiA's part but a commercial venture on the site owner's part - who will have PLI, Employer's Liability Insurance and Accident Insurance specific to the activity of airsoft. Which is why we have always done what we have done.

If Chris Hodgson runs a game in woods and insist on AFRA members only, then the AFRA insurance will give a player (who has properly informed AFRA of game attendance and completed a risk assessment) Public Liability Insurance. That is to say, insurance against the risk of claim from another player or other party in case of loss or injury. BUT Chris Hodgson is running a business, a commercial event. Should there be a claim by a player to the AFRA insurer then the insurers will seek to minimise their liability by spreading it and will seek damages from Chris Hodgson's insurer or, failing that, him personally. So, while the players should be reasonably sure of protection against causing injury to anyone else they won't have ANY protection of injury to themselves without suing the organiser. Remember that AFRA insurance only insures against your liability to others - it isn't personal injury insurance. Chris Hodgson should have in place PLI, Employer's Liability Insurance and Accident Insurance specific to the activity of airsoft - and as far as we know he hasn't. Nor has CiA, which makes non-airsoft sites a big personal risk. With or without AFRA membership.

Edit:
Slight rider to this: if organisers are AFRA members AND players are all AFRA members AND notified the event in advance AND billed it as Re-enactment/Living History/Training AND did the relevant paperwork as in Risk Assessment, Method report - then the organiser should be covered by the Employers Liability Insurance element of the insurance.