The obvious answer is they are safe when used for plinking or target shooting and that you have protective gear. For skirmishes? Absolutely not. Anyway, that's one of the topics in Airsoftology Mondays' Q&A portion as hosted by Jonathan Higgs... "This Monday Q&A show Jonathan wrestles with the concept of metal bbs in airsoft, the safety of leaving your gear out during games and also helps you find your next airsoft field with some great online tools."