Human Effectiveness and Risk Characterization of Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) and Pelargonic Acid Vanillylamide (PAVA or Nonivamide) Hand-Held Devices

Abstract : A Human Effectiveness and Risk Characterization (HERC) for oleoresin capsicum (OC) and pelargonic acid vanillylamide (PAVA or nonivamide) hand-held devices has been conducted in an effort organized by the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL), Biobehavioral Systems Branch (RHDJ), in collaboration with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and the Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center (ECBC). The active ingredients in these devices are collectively termed capsaicinoids and act by peripheral sensory irritation. This HERC reflects the results from a three-workshop process with sequential workshops held for data gathering and sharing, peer consultation, and independent external review of the HERC document. OC and PAVA sprays are a diverse set of more than 300 commercially available products. Because the HERC team was not able to identify sufficient information on any one product to allow the development of a product-specific assessment of risk and effectiveness, the HERC instead evaluated three products that are believed to illustrate the range of devices commercially available.