Do you have a defibrillator (AED) in your workplace that is readily accessible in an emergency? Do you or your colleagues know where it is even located?
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in Australia, with most cases occurring outside of hospital. If a defib is used within the first 2-3 minutes, the chance of survival increases to 70%. Sadly, many workplaces do not have AED’s and have not realized its importance. Only 8% of Australians thought that they are the most important thing to have in the workplace, with paper and pens ranking higher (St John Ambulance NSW 2021).
Are you sure it can happen in my workplace?
This can happen to anyone of any age. Imagine your colleague collapses on the ground, their brain and organs starved of oxygen, and no one onsite knows where the defib is, let alone if the site even has one. These precious moments of fumbling around trying to locate an AED, or awaiting one from paramedics, is time that your colleague does not have. It takes, on average, 16 minutes for an Ambulance to arrive in metropolitan cities, and even longer in regional areas.
This is life and death, and time wasted is preventable through having a defibrillator onsite and staff trained of its whereabouts and operation.
Bright signage and cases can also help first responders identify where your AED is located. Click here to view our range of signage, cases, and wall-mounted cabinets.
DEFIBRILLATORS SAVE LIVES!
So what can I do?
If there is one thing that you can do today, find out where your defib is located. Familiarize yourself with it and what it looks like. Or if your workplace does not have one, enquire about purchasing one now via 1300 705 002 or admin@firstaidtraininggroup.com, and click here to view a range of our defibrillators.
