Always ready: the awesome benefits of having an AED in the workplace

The Awesome Benefits of having an AED in the Workplace – Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a common problem that affects many Australians. In fact, around 30,000 Australians a year fall victim to SCA, with many of them not making it to the hospital.

Although Australia doesn’t have any laws surrounding which workplaces require an automated external defibrillator (AED), they are a vital piece of medical equipment which could be the difference between an employee who suffers SCA living or dying.

AEDs are imperative for two reasons:

1. They analyse the heart rhythm of a person experiencing SCA, and;
2. If necessary, they deliver an electric shock which can restore the normal rhythm of the person experiencing SCA.

Both of these functions are pivotal for saving the life of someone experiencing SCA, so why would you want to leave one out of the workplace?

Let’s take a look at the awesome advantages of having an AED in the workplace and why you should definitely have one in yours…

1. They help save precious time

Every minute is precious for someone experiencing SCA. Given that a large number of victims don’t make it to hospital, the ability to provide some sort of treatment to them before trained paramedics can arrive is paramount.

Given that AEDs provide heart rhythm analysis and, if necessary, an electric shock to hopefully restore the heart to its normal rhythm, it goes without saying that these pieces of medical equipment are vital for the workplace.

2. They are lightweight & easy to use

Naturally, when many people hear about medical equipment in the workplace, they immediately think that they wouldn’t be up to the challenge of using it if required. They think that even if they were trained to use an AED it is still a piece of medical technology that would be difficult to operate effectively.

But this is a fallacy.

AEDs are compact, lightweight and, most importantly, easy to use! Your staff would only have to undergo a brief training period before they would be able to safely and effectively deliver the operations of an AED to someone experiencing SCA.

Their ease of operation makes them such a handy and imperative medical tool that can be easily stored at the workplace in a location that whilst out of the everyday operations of the business is easily accessible if ever required.

3. They don’t administer shocks to those who don’t need them

Given that the AED analyses the heart rhythm of a person experiencing SCA before administering a shock, the fear of administering a shock to someone who doesn’t necessarily need it is reduced.

Naturally, everyday workplace staff can be apprehensive about delivering medical attention to someone in need – this is even so for treatments like mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

With an AED, however, the device will not administer an unnecessary shock, thus reducing the risk of doing harm to someone who already has a heartbeat.

4. They greatly increase survival chances

According to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the use of AEDs increases the victim’s survival chances by a massive 60 per cent.

In a country where thousands of people experience SCA every year, and many of these being in the workplace, why wouldn’t you want to have a device on-hand that can greatly increase the victim’s survival chances?

AEDs are easy to use and can potentially save a life in a way that likely can’t be done without their presence – perhaps it’s time you considered one for your workplace?