OSH Security Practice Test

If a security guard has been authorized to carry handcuffs with their security company, when would the security guard use them?

1. They are not allowed to use them as security guards

2. To protect the guard

3. If the security guard has made an arrest

4. Only after the security has used their baton

The correct answer is: If the security guard has made an arrest

The rationale behind the answer is that handcuffs are typically used as a restraint tool during an arrest. When a security guard has been authorized to carry handcuffs, their primary purpose is to secure an individual who poses a threat or who has been detained for a specific reason, often involving an arrest scenario. Using handcuffs is a way for the guard to ensure both their own safety and the safety of others by physically restricting the movements of the person being detained. In contrast, the other options do not align with the appropriate use of handcuffs. For instance, an authorization to carry handcuffs does imply that security guards have the power to use them, so suggesting that they are not allowed to use them does not reflect the training and guidelines that are typically in place. The need to protect the guard can be a factor in using handcuffs, but it is not the primary justification for their use; the context of an arrest solidifies the rationale more clearly. Finally, the notion that handcuffs should only be used after employing a baton misrepresents the protocol concerning the use of non-lethal restraining tools—handcuffs are specifically intended for restraint following a situation where an arrest is warranted, not as a follow-up