Cardiac Arrest: Empowering Readiness
Understanding the crucial role that AEDs play in workplace emergency preparedness.
- By Ian Durrant
- Jun 11, 2024
In today’s fast-paced work environment, statistics reveal a troubling reality: a workplace injury occurs every seven seconds in the United States, totaling 5,250 fatal injuries and 2.8 million non-fatal injuries each year.
Workplace injuries and risks vary by industry but all workplaces should prepare for potentially fatal and unexpected incidents such as sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). According to the AHA, more than 356,000 cardiac arrests occurred outside of the hospital, and unfortunately 60 percent to 80 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital. Studies show that more than 10,000 SCAs specifically occur in workplaces every year.
This alarming rate highlights the need for robust safety preparedness plans specifically to address the potential for sudden cardiac arrest. Central to these plans is the integration of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) because an AED is used to assist victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest can strike without warning across all demographics, making the availability and effective use of AEDs crucial in drastically improving survival chances in life-threatening situations. There are many things to consider when preparing for unexpected emergencies like sudden cardiac arrest, including what regulations you need to follow, what to consider when selecting an AED, what the optimal placement of an AED is, what maintenance requirements there are and what training needs to be conducted to ensure safer communities and workplaces.
Understand Workplace Standards
The foundation of any workplace safety program is adherence to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, which are designed to minimize hazards and ensure worker safety. Employers and safety managers should fully understand and enforce OSHA standards along with any additional relevant industry-specific regulations, and stay up to date OSHA laws and regulations, as well.
This article originally appeared in the June 2024 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.