Safety Guidelines

Severity of warnings

Graded per IEC/IEEE 82079-1:

WARNING	May cause death or serious injury
CAUTION	May cause minor or moderate injury
NOTICE	May damage the product; no risk to persons

Unmarked text is guidance, not a hazard statement.

	Applies to	Highest severity
1. Rules applying to all use	All users	WARNING
2. Known risks	All users	WARNING
3. Modes of use	All users — determines what else applies	—
4. Use with a second person present		CAUTION
5. Use alone, with self-release	Most products	WARNING
6. Use alone, with timed release	Products supplied with a timed release	WARNING
7. Emergencies	All users	WARNING
8. Nature and limitations of the products	All users	—

Sections 1 and 3 apply to every user and should be read first.

Preliminary

These products are rigid restraints designed to hold securely. That property is what makes them effective and what makes them hazardous if used without care.

This document is not medical advice. It does not cover every situation, and it does not replace the judgement of the persons involved.

1. Rules applying to all use

1.1 Eligibility and consent

Use is restricted to persons aged 18 or over, or the local age of majority where that is higher.

All persons involved must consent freely, with knowledge of what is intended, and must be able to withdraw consent at any time. Consent given previously is not consent now. Consent is not valid if given under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Products must be stored where minors, guests and non-consenting persons cannot access them. Responsibility for that rests with the owner.

Where a product is purchased as a gift, the recipient must be an adult who has agreed to receive it and has read this document before use.

WARNING — these products must never be used on a person who has not consented, on a person unable to consent, or to threaten, coerce or intimidate. Doing so is a criminal offence in every country to which these products are sold.

1.2 Absolute limits

WARNING — the neck and airway must never be restrained. This includes hoods, gags, wraps, and anything under tension across the throat. Positions restricting the chest can prevent breathing without contact to the face, and may do so while the restrained person remains conscious and unable to communicate.

WARNING — no person may be suspended, and no position may be used from which the restrained person cannot change posture.

WARNING — restraints must not be used by any person affected by alcohol, drugs, or medication impairing alertness, coordination or judgement. Impairment is present in a substantial proportion of serious incidents.

1.3 Inspection before use

Before each use, inspect for cracks, deformation, worn material, latches that do not operate correctly, releases that stick, and damage to contact surfaces.

NOTICE — any product whose condition is uncertain must be withdrawn from use and the manufacturer contacted.

Products must not be modified, and must not be combined with equipment for which they were not designed. Both alter their behaviour unpredictably.

1.4 Cutting tools are not applicable

Safety guidance for this activity generally assumes rope or webbing and recommends emergency shears.

The entire product range is rigid. No product contains rope or webbing, and there is nothing to cut. Shears cannot release any product in this range.

Guidance obtained elsewhere on this point does not apply and should be disregarded. Reliance on a cutting tool displaces preparation that would be effective.

The release methods that do apply are set out in sections 4 to 6.

1.5 Medical conditions

Medical advice must be obtained before use where any of the following applies to any person involved:

Cardiac conditions, blood-pressure disorders, or a history of fainting
Asthma, sleep apnoea, or other respiratory conditions
Epilepsy or other seizure disorders
Diabetes, neuropathy, or reduced sensation
Circulatory or clotting disorders, or anticoagulant medication
Joint hypermobility, recent injury, or recent surgery
Anxiety or panic disorders
Pregnancy

This list is not exhaustive. Conditions capable of causing sudden incapacity carry risk that cannot be quantified by the manufacturer, and materially greater risk during use without a second person present.

2. Known risks

CAUTION — restricted circulation. Restraints applied too tightly, or worn too long, restrict blood flow. Indicators: change in skin colour or temperature, numbness, tingling, swelling.

CAUTION — nerve compression. Pressure on a nerve, particularly at the wrist, elbow and neck, may cause numbness or weakness persisting beyond the session, in some cases for weeks. Tingling requires an immediate change of position.

WARNING — restricted breathing. Certain positions restrict the chest without contact to the face. Onset is gradual and may not be recognised by the restrained person.

WARNING — falls. A restrained person cannot break a fall. Hard floors, edges, stairs and bathrooms present the greatest risk.

Panic. Panic occurs unpredictably, including among experienced users. Immobility is a strong stimulus and responses are not reliably rational. Procedures dependent on the restrained person remaining calm may fail when required.

Temperature. Sessions frequently run longer than intended, with risk of chilling or overheating.

3. Modes of use

Most products support more than one mode. Requirements differ by mode.

Mode	Release by	Additional sections
Assisted	A second person	4
Alone, self-release	The restrained person, at will	5
Alone, timed release	The mechanism, after a set period	5 and 6

Requirements are cumulative. Timed release used alone engages sections 1, 2, 5 and 6.

4. Use with a second person present

The second person must remain present, awake and attentive for the duration. Presence in an adjoining room does not satisfy this requirement.

A signal must be agreed that functions without speech. A restrained person who is gagged, distressed or panicking may be unable to speak. Suitable signals include a held object released onto the floor, a repeated tap, or a hand squeeze.

A signal to stop must be acted on immediately and without negotiation.

Circulation must be checked at intervals — colour, temperature and sensation in the fingers, hands and feet. Position changes and breaks must be permitted. Shivering, sweating, confusion or altered breathing require the session to end.

Where a keyed product is used, the person holding the key is responsible for remaining present. The key must not be given to the restrained person.

5. Use alone, with self-release

Applies where the restrained person can apply and remove the product without assistance. Sections 1 and 2 apply in full.

WARNING — no assistance will be summoned automatically. No product monitors the restrained person, detects distress, or alerts any third party.

The release must be tested before it is relied upon: while restrained, in the intended position, against the intended surface. Capability in principle does not establish capability in practice. Initial testing should be conducted while a second person is present in the building.

A means of summoning assistance must be available and tested. Products enclosing the hands prevent operation of a touchscreen; a voice-operated device positioned within range is required. A third party should be informed of the expected duration.

The environment must be prepared: temperature suitable for an extended period, water accessible, no stairs or hard edges within falling distance, no source of fire or flooding unattended, and other occupants and animals accounted for.

Duration and restriction should be increased gradually, with the release tested at each stage.

6. Use alone, with timed release

Applies where a product is supplied with a timed-release capsule.

Section 5 applies in full. This mode additionally removes the ability to end the session at will for a defined period.

6.1 Design principle

The capsule is held in place by friction alone. Nothing latches it and nothing electronic holds it in: pulling it out of its channel opens the lock immediately. This requires no battery, no phone connection and no button, and it works whether or not the electronics are functioning.

The device is therefore designed so that it cannot restrain a person who is conscious and able to use a hand freely.

6.2 Release paths

Release occurs by any of the following:

Expiry of the set period, at which the mechanism retracts.
Low stored energy, at which the mechanism opens while sufficient energy remains.
Loss of connection to the paired handset beyond a defined grace period.
Withdrawal of the capsule by the pull thread, which is anchored externally.
Pressing the latch against a flat surface.
Operation by a second person, at any time, without tools.

Paths 4 and 5 require no power and no electronics. Where two capsules are used, releasing either frees one hand, which can then operate the other.

6.3 The paired handset

The handset is a passive safety layer. It is not operated by the restrained person during a session, and no design assumption is made that it can be reached.

Loss of the connection beyond the grace period causes release. The connection is therefore a safeguard rather than a communication channel.

6.4 Requirements before each timed session

WARNING — the hands must not be anchored apart. Where the hands cannot reach one another, releasing one cuff does not permit release of the other, and the redundancy provided by the second capsule does not apply.

The pull thread is a required component of the release system, not an accessory. Before each session it must be confirmed that:

the thread is fitted and correctly attached;
it moves freely, and has not stiffened through wear;
the anchor point withstands the applied force without shifting, tipping or breaking.

Furniture may slide, handles may detach, and fixtures may pull out of plasterboard. An anchor that fails removes this release path entirely. Testing must apply the force achievable from the intended position.

A second person must be able to attend within a period during which continued restraint would remain safe.

Position must be selected such that restraint continuing beyond the intended period would be uncomfortable rather than hazardous: no pressure sufficient to restrict circulation, weight shiftable, temperature suitable, water accessible.

6.5 Limitations of the mechanism

NOTICE — the timer is not a safety device. It may fail, and it may run beyond the set period.

A fault indication requires the session to be ended. It does not indicate that the condition is being managed.

WARNING — timed release must not be combined with restriction of the neck or airway, with suspension, or with any position from which posture cannot be changed.

6.6 Emergency access by a third party

A person attending an emergency may be untrained. Release is achieved by withdrawing the capsule, or by pressing the latch against a flat surface. Neither requires tools, power, or knowledge of the mechanism.

7. Emergencies

Release immediately where any of the following is observed:

Loss of consciousness, unresponsiveness, or confusion
Difficulty breathing, chest pain or pressure
Numbness, tingling, or loss of movement
Skin becoming pale, blue, grey or cold
Swelling beyond the area of contact
Severe pain or evident distress

Release takes priority over preserving the product.

Medical attention must be sought following any loss of consciousness however brief; numbness or weakness persisting after release; skin colour that does not return; pain continuing after release; or any injury of uncertain severity.

Medical staff must be given an accurate account of what occurred. Treatment decisions depend on it.

Product failure, jamming or unexpected behaviour should be reported to info@wickedergonomy.com, whether or not injury resulted.

8. Nature and limitations of the products

These products are rigid restraints constructed from durable polymers with body-safe TPU contact surfaces.

They are not safety equipment, medical devices, or protective equipment. No product monitors the restrained person, detects distress, or releases automatically. Quick-release mechanisms operate only when actuated by a person capable of actuating them, which may not include the restrained person.

Fit, position, duration, environment and product condition are determined by the user and affect safety more than the product itself.