AEDs in the Workplace

Visibility and accessibility are key. Place your AED somewhere high-traffic, with clearly marked, visible signage. It’s also smart to keep them near the center of medium-sized buildings, and near other first aid equipment. Avoid placing AEDs in locked or restricted areas, places of extreme temperature variation, and away from most foot traffic.

For every minute that passes after an SCA without a defibrillating shock, survival odds decrease by 10%. Because time is so precious, AEDs should never be more than three minutes away from any given point in your facility.The exact number of AEDs in a facility depends on several factors, including the shape and layout of your floorplan and how many buildings are on the premises. A good rule of thumb is to keep at least one AED per building and one AED per floor.Time how fast it is to retrieve the AED from different locations in your building. If the time between emergency and deployment is more than three minutes, you may need to invest in more AEDs.

Your workplace’s AED will need the following features:

• Audio and visual prompts to guide any rescuer through the process
• High IP rating for durability
• Regular self checks
• Dual language capability
• Long warranty life
• Pre-connected pads to decrease deployment time
• Low long-term cost of ownership
• (Optional) Real-time CPR feedback

To ensure your AED is working and ready to save a life, the AED must be stored and maintained properly. Many AEDs perform regular self-checks and will signal when something is wrong. Check on your AED monthly and keep a record of annual maintenance, self-check history, and expiration dates for essential components.Send your AEDs to a biomedical service provider like ReNew Biomedical for an annual Preventative Maintenance check-up. Trained and certified technicians will clean your device, ensure it passes all tests, and alert you to any needed repairs or issues.

An Emergency Response Plan lays out the exact steps to take if anyone experiences a SCA on your premises. The plan should include AED locations and specific emergency steps. Your businesses ERP should be reviewed annually, published to all employees, and include:

• The creation of a Cardiac Emergency Response Team (CERT)
• The steps to activate the CERT team, notifying the local EMS, and handoff once paramedics arrive
• AED placement(s) within the facility and AED maintenance schedule
• Budgetary consideration for replacing old units, adding units to account for expansion/quicker response, annual AED maintenance, and replacing expired pads/batteries
• Cardiac arrest response drills