"stand down" on post - what does it mean?

[Bodysnatcher]

Looking forward to the season ahead, I looked up a timetable for the first meeting down at Brands Hatch

http://www.lotrdc.com/Lotus_Brands_Hatch_Celebration

and my heart sank a little...

Lunch & Lotus Demos - 13:17pm
T Cars Race - 14:05pm

If lunch starts on time and even getting back only 10mins before the first race after lunch, thats 38 minutes.
30 minutes for a lunch break I can handle.
demos at lunch time......another thing altogether

Great for the spectators, but as happened a few times last year, not so good for marshals if we have the infamous "stand down on post" order.

What are the implications of "stand down on post"?

Are we providing safety cover?
I guess we are, since who would stand idly by if a demo car required assistance?

Is the Observer still responsible?
Or can I relax?, maybe leave the post in order to answer the call of nature

What is a safe manning level?
given that we may be starting with a number only marginally greater than one.

The reply I got to these sort of questions was "I leave it to you with your years of experience to decide how best to deal with it"

buck passing at it's finest
(or joined up thinking to invoke one of the buzz-words favoured)

Well, given my years of experience and if (for example) the driver was an ex F1 and Indy car champion driving in a supposedly non-competitive manner with the circuit to himself.

I'd say we can all leave the post and go for a burger and chips.

But i know that's not what I'm meant to say and I know whose arse would be the first to get a kicking if it went tits-up.

What does the board think?

Personally I'd rather not hear this phrase.
I'm on duty or off
thats it

I know Dutchchap had a big problem with this approach to lunch break activities.