4. What are the specific circumstances where TASERs can be used on psychiatric patients, patients with autism and patients with substance abuse/alcohol abuse issues?
It’s important to note that ACEP’s abstract reports that “when systematic approaches to violent persons do not work, public safety officers (PSO) require additional means of elevated force to control dangerous behavior. The use of the electrical stun gun (TASER) offers an option that is more effective than baton but less lethal than a firearm.”
In other words, electronic control devices can be an appropriate response in a hospital setting. The one key issue is to compare the chances of injuries with a TASER versus the risk associated with another tool, such as fists, kicks, sprays, batons, etc. A proper context for this is that a U.S. Department Justice-funded study found that while stun guns are not risk free, 99.75 percent of study subjects did not experience significant injuries following a TASER deployment. 
While not every circumstance can be foreseen, TASER provides warning guidelines for persons at risk. These individuals include children, the elderly, pregnant women, someone on an elevated or unstable surface, etc.
It should be noted that in law enforcement, alcohol and drug use is quite common (averaging 40-50 percent in most cases) in suspects subdued by stun guns. The training for TASER weapons does not provide a system of “shall nots” in terms of its use.
Instead, it provides a pragmatic approach to allowing the users to best determine the response to resistance measures while balancing out the issued product warnings.
5. What are the specific circumstances where stun guns should not be where stun guns should not be used in a hospital setting?
An electronic control device can ignite explosive and flammable clothing or materials, liquids, fumes, gases, or vapors (i.e., gasoline, vapor or gas found in sewer lines, butane-type lighters, or flammable hair gels). In addition, if a hospital security officer carries a pepper or chemical spray, some of these products use a flammable carrier, such as alcohol. It is recommended that these sprays be tested for flammability.
In addition, oxygen is a concern and must be addressed in terms of proper protocols as addressed during the TASER instructor course.
6. Are there any other policy/standard operating procedures (SOP) that are important to hospital security professionals?
The cornerstone for a TASER electronic control device program is having proper policies, training and oversight in place. A SOP should also include close monitoring and review of all TASER deployments.
One such hospital, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), has a panel comprised of representatives from its legal, clinical and administrative departments that review every incident in which an officer removes his or her TASER from its holster, even in cases where the device is not deployed.
“Our top priority is to protect our patients, visitors and employees. After more than a year of extensive analysis and careful assessment, we decided that having highly trained officers carrying TASERs at OHSU could be the best way to protect our community,” said Gary Granger, director, OHSU Public Safety.< /p>
“When uniformed OHSU officers are called to assist with a challenging situation, their first tool is simply their presence. Depending on the situation, officers will work with healthcare providers to determine the next tool to use, ranging from talking with the individuals to physically removing them to using tools such as pepper spray. Public safety officers will use TASERs only as the last resort and only in situations where someone was at significant risk of hurting themselves or others around them.”
TASER programs can reduce liability exposure while protecting patients and staff. As with all considerations of force (in law enforcement or in hospitals) the proper steps must be taken to ensure successful outcomes for all parties.
Steve Tuttle is vice president of communications for TASER International. He can be reached at [email protected].
