Coming from a newbee who did several cutouts this year...I did a late-season cutout a few weeks ago. I was working about 16 feet up on a scaffold. A couple of guys on the ground about 10 feet from the scaffold got stung half a dozen times. In the earlier season cutouts, bees weren't stinging people, even close to the hive during cutout. I guess if you pick the right time of year and the right weather day, you will likely have very civil bees. Otherwise, heavy pedestrian traffic may be in the line of fire. Maybe a sign and a tape to keep people 30 yards away for a couple of hours... Your local law enforcement or animal control might even help out if you ask. Cut them out and hive them on site.