diff --git a/src/arrows/mod.rs b/src/arrows/mod.rs
index 0fb328bf..7cd89083 100644
--- a/src/arrows/mod.rs
+++ b/src/arrows/mod.rs
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ where
     let key = match range {
         Bound::Included(key) => {
             cmp = &gt_eq;
-            Some(unsafe { &*(key as *const _) })
+            Some(&*(key as *const _))
         }
         Bound::Excluded(key) => {
             cmp = >
-            Some(unsafe { &*(key as *const _) })
+            Some(&*(key as *const _))
         }
         Bound::Unbounded => {
             cmp = &|this, _| {
diff --git a/src/compaction/mod.rs b/src/compaction/mod.rs
index eb916cb6..63972d5a 100644
--- a/src/compaction/mod.rs
+++ b/src/compaction/mod.rs
@@ -301,7 +301,10 @@ where
         version_edits: &mut Vec<VersionEdit<<R as Record>::Key>>,
         level: usize,
         streams: Vec<ScanStream<'scan, R, FP>>,
-    ) -> Result<(), CompactionError<R>> {
+    ) -> Result<(), CompactionError<R>>
+    where
+        FP: 'scan,
+    {
         let mut stream = MergeStream::<R, FP>::from_vec(streams).await?;
 
         // Kould: is the capacity parameter necessary?
diff --git a/src/inmem/immutable.rs b/src/inmem/immutable.rs
index 227fa2b4..666d08ae 100644
--- a/src/inmem/immutable.rs
+++ b/src/inmem/immutable.rs
@@ -10,10 +10,7 @@ use super::mutable::Mutable;
 use crate::{
     record::{internal::InternalRecordRef, Key, Record, RecordRef},
     stream::record_batch::RecordBatchEntry,
-    timestamp::{
-        timestamped::{Timestamped, TimestampedRef},
-        Timestamp, EPOCH,
-    },
+    timestamp::{Timestamp, Timestamped, TimestampedRef, EPOCH},
 };
 
 pub trait ArrowArrays: Sized {
@@ -154,10 +151,13 @@ where
         self.range.next().map(|(_, &offset)| {
             let record_ref = R::Ref::from_record_batch(self.record_batch, offset as usize);
             // TODO: remove cloning record batch
-            RecordBatchEntry::new(self.record_batch.clone(), unsafe {
-                transmute::<InternalRecordRef<R::Ref<'_>>, InternalRecordRef<R::Ref<'static>>>(
-                    record_ref,
-                )
+            RecordBatchEntry::new(self.record_batch.clone(), {
+                // Safety: record_ref self-references the record batch
+                unsafe {
+                    transmute::<InternalRecordRef<R::Ref<'_>>, InternalRecordRef<R::Ref<'static>>>(
+                        record_ref,
+                    )
+                }
             })
         })
     }
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
     use crate::{
         record::Record,
         tests::{Test, TestRef},
-        timestamp::Timestamped,
+        timestamp::timestamped::Timestamped,
     };
 
     #[derive(Debug)]
diff --git a/src/ondisk/scan.rs b/src/ondisk/scan.rs
index fa5d397a..e96fe4d2 100644
--- a/src/ondisk/scan.rs
+++ b/src/ondisk/scan.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use std::{
+    marker::PhantomData,
     pin::Pin,
     task::{Context, Poll},
 };
@@ -16,26 +17,31 @@ use crate::{
 
 pin_project! {
     #[derive(Debug)]
-    pub struct SsTableScan<R, FP>
+    pub struct SsTableScan<'scan, R, FP>
     where
         FP: FileProvider,
     {
         #[pin]
         stream: ParquetRecordBatchStream<Compat<FP::File>>,
         iter: Option<RecordBatchIterator<R>>,
+        _marker: PhantomData<&'scan ()>
     }
 }
 
-impl<R, FP> SsTableScan<R, FP>
+impl<R, FP> SsTableScan<'_, R, FP>
 where
     FP: FileProvider,
 {
     pub fn new(stream: ParquetRecordBatchStream<Compat<FP::File>>) -> Self {
-        SsTableScan { stream, iter: None }
+        SsTableScan {
+            stream,
+            iter: None,
+            _marker: PhantomData,
+        }
     }
 }
 
-impl<R, FP> Stream for SsTableScan<R, FP>
+impl<'scan, R, FP> Stream for SsTableScan<'scan, R, FP>
 where
     R: Record,
     FP: FileProvider,
diff --git a/src/ondisk/sstable.rs b/src/ondisk/sstable.rs
index 0cb9088f..d25e9c12 100644
--- a/src/ondisk/sstable.rs
+++ b/src/ondisk/sstable.rs
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ where
         let builder = self.into_parquet_builder(limit).await?;
 
         let schema_descriptor = builder.metadata().file_metadata().schema_descr();
+
+        // Safety: filter's lifetime relies on range's lifetime, sstable must not live longer than
+        // it
         let filter = unsafe { get_range_filter::<R>(schema_descriptor, range, ts) };
 
         Ok(SsTableScan::new(builder.with_row_filter(filter).build()?))
diff --git a/src/stream/level.rs b/src/stream/level.rs
index 6d92c670..46dab6f1 100644
--- a/src/stream/level.rs
+++ b/src/stream/level.rs
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ where
     FP: FileProvider,
 {
     Init(FileId),
-    Ready(SsTableScan<R, FP>),
+    Ready(SsTableScan<'level, R, FP>),
     OpenFile(Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = io::Result<FP::File>> + 'level>>),
-    LoadStream(Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result<SsTableScan<R, FP>, ParquetError>> + 'level>>),
+    LoadStream(
+        Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result<SsTableScan<'level, R, FP>, ParquetError>> + 'level>>,
+    ),
 }
 
 pub(crate) struct LevelStream<'level, R, FP>
diff --git a/src/stream/mod.rs b/src/stream/mod.rs
index 8f5100e2..b021c700 100644
--- a/src/stream/mod.rs
+++ b/src/stream/mod.rs
@@ -39,9 +39,10 @@ where
 {
     pub(crate) fn key(&self) -> Timestamped<<R::Key as Key>::Ref<'_>> {
         match self {
-            Entry::Mutable(entry) => entry
-                .key()
-                .map(|key| unsafe { transmute(key.as_key_ref()) }),
+            Entry::Mutable(entry) => entry.key().map(|key| {
+                // Safety: shorter lifetime must be safe
+                unsafe { transmute(key.as_key_ref()) }
+            }),
             Entry::SsTable(entry) => entry.internal_key(),
             Entry::Immutable(entry) => entry.internal_key(),
             Entry::Level(entry) => entry.internal_key(),
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@ pin_project! {
         },
         SsTable {
             #[pin]
-            inner: SsTableScan<R, FP>,
+            inner: SsTableScan<'scan, R, FP>,
         },
         Level {
             #[pin]
@@ -128,12 +129,12 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-impl<'scan, R, FP> From<SsTableScan<R, FP>> for ScanStream<'scan, R, FP>
+impl<'scan, R, FP> From<SsTableScan<'scan, R, FP>> for ScanStream<'scan, R, FP>
 where
     R: Record,
     FP: FileProvider,
 {
-    fn from(inner: SsTableScan<R, FP>) -> Self {
+    fn from(inner: SsTableScan<'scan, R, FP>) -> Self {
         ScanStream::SsTable { inner }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/timestamp/timestamped.rs b/src/timestamp/timestamped.rs
index c1833ec3..249749f7 100644
--- a/src/timestamp/timestamped.rs
+++ b/src/timestamp/timestamped.rs
@@ -104,13 +104,7 @@ where
     V: PartialEq,
 {
     fn eq(&self, other: &Self) -> bool {
-        unsafe {
-            let this = transmute::<&TimestampedRef<V>, [usize; 2]>(self);
-            let other = transmute::<&TimestampedRef<V>, [usize; 2]>(other);
-            let this_value = transmute::<usize, &V>(this[0]);
-            let other_value = transmute::<usize, &V>(other[0]);
-            this_value == other_value && this[1] == other[1]
-        }
+        self.value() == other.value() && self.ts() == other.ts()
     }
 }
 
@@ -121,15 +115,9 @@ where
     V: PartialOrd,
 {
     fn partial_cmp(&self, other: &Self) -> Option<Ordering> {
-        unsafe {
-            let this = transmute::<&TimestampedRef<V>, [usize; 2]>(self);
-            let other = transmute::<&TimestampedRef<V>, [usize; 2]>(other);
-            let this_value = transmute::<usize, &V>(this[0]);
-            let other_value = transmute::<usize, &V>(other[0]);
-            this_value
-                .partial_cmp(other_value)
-                .map(|ordering| ordering.then_with(|| other[1].cmp(&this[1])))
-        }
+        self.value()
+            .partial_cmp(other.value())
+            .map(|ordering| ordering.then_with(|| other.ts().cmp(&self.ts())))
     }
 }
 
@@ -138,15 +126,9 @@ where
     K: Ord,
 {
     fn cmp(&self, other: &Self) -> Ordering {
-        unsafe {
-            let this = transmute::<&TimestampedRef<K>, [usize; 2]>(self);
-            let other = transmute::<&TimestampedRef<K>, [usize; 2]>(other);
-            let this_value = transmute::<usize, &K>(this[0]);
-            let other_value = transmute::<usize, &K>(other[0]);
-            this_value
-                .cmp(other_value)
-                .then_with(|| other[1].cmp(&this[1]))
-        }
+        self.value()
+            .cmp(other.value())
+            .then_with(|| other.ts().cmp(&self.ts()))
     }
 }