Just as sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can happen to anyone at any age, it can occur in any business of any size — at any time. Your employees, partners and customers are all potentially at risk. Because SCA strikes without warning, being prepared can literally mean the difference between life and death.
AEDs at Work
- SCA accounts for 13 percent of on-the-job fatalities
- OSHA provides information on the importance of readily-available AEDs, and encourages the installation of the devices in workplaces.
- The Cardiac Arrest Survival Act 2000 encourages the placement of AEDs in all federal buildings
- The FAA requires all passenger flights in the U.S. to carry an AED onboard
- The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Policies supports the establishment of programs by employers to use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to manage sudden cardiac arrest in workplace settings
- Building Owners and Managers Association has made recommendations for AEDs in the workplace
- Milliman Consultants and Actuaries "found that AEDs provide significant, predictable economic benefits to the individuals and companies they protect, as well as to the insurers who provide their coverage"
AED Program Benefits
More companies are incorporating AED programs into their health and safety efforts, and for many, AEDs have become as essential as first aid kits and fire extinguishers. Indeed, with the growing success of AEDs in saving lives, employees may eventually come to expect AED programs as a routine part of their benefits packages.
Saving more lives...this is what a heart-safe program is really all about. It's the reason the Physio-Control team comes to work each day. It's the reason they pursue quality standards so rigorously. It's the passion we share: saving more lives. One of those lives could be yours or that of someone you care about.
What to Look for in an AED Program
Saving a life with an AED involves far more than having a device close at hand. The right AED program ensures the personnel you select are trained in recognizing the symptoms of SCA and in performing CPR and using an AED, your AEDs are placed in optimal locations and stay in working order, and you can successfully navigate the health and safety regulations associated with incorporating AEDs into the workplace.
Whether your company has five employees or 5000, look for an AED program that:
- Is designed and implemented in a manner that manages liability risk
- Is flexible and comprehensive enough to meet your unique personnel and budgetary needs
- Can help you build strong relationships between your AED program and your local emergency response and hospital communities
- Offers health initiatives for your business to help lower the incidence of SCA
- Demonstrates a commitment to helping SCA survivors return to active and rewarding lives
- Offers liability indemnification to you and your business
Contact Physio-Control at 800-442-1142 or your Physio-Control representative to talk about how you can help make your workplace heart safe.