(a) Requirements.
  (1) Only TJJD-approved mechanical restraint devices shall be used by a facility.
  (2) Mechanical restraint devices shall be used only in a manner consistent with their intended use.
  (3) All mechanical restraint devices shall be inspected at least once each year, no later than the last day of the calendar month of the previous year's inspection. The dates of the inspections shall be documented.
  (4) All faulty or malfunctioning devices shall be restricted from use until they are repaired or replaced. Any maintenance performed shall adhere to the manufacturer's guidelines.
(b) Prohibitions.
  (1) Except as noted in paragraph (2) of this subsection, approved mechanical restraint devices shall not be altered from the manufacturer's design.
  (2) If a required repair will modify or alter a restraint bed, restraint chair, and/or accompanying soft restraints, the facility shall obtain and maintain written approval from the manufacturer prior to the repair. The restraint equipment shall meet the requirements of this subchapter after the alteration or modification occurs.
  (3) A resident shall not be placed in a prone position while restrained in any mechanical restraint for a period of time longer than necessary to apply the restraint device.
  (4) A mechanical restraint shall not secure a resident in a prone, supine, or lateral position with the resident's arms and hands behind the resident's back and secured to the resident's legs.
  (5) Approved mechanical restraint devices shall not be secured so tightly as to interfere with circulation or so loosely as to cause chafing of the skin.
  (6) Approved mechanical restraint devices shall not be secured to a stationary object except when complete immobilization is required by use of a four-point restraint or a restraint chair.
  (7) A resident in an approved mechanical restraint device shall not participate in any physical activity.
  (8) Plastic cuffs shall be used only in emergency situations.

Source Note: The provisions of this §343.810 adopted to be effective January 1, 2010, 34 TexReg 7095; amended to be effective September 1, 2013, 38 TexReg 4387; amended to be effective January 1, 2015, 39 TexReg 9243