Page 78 - Occupational Health & Safety, October 2018

DEFIBRILLATORS & CPR
lose some of the time that you tried so purposefully to save. When the EMS crew arrives at the security guards side, they will need information that you can provide.
You were a very important component of what the American Heart Association calls the “Chain of Survival.” This chain start- ed when you called for help and got an AED, and it will continue through advanced and post care at the hospital.
Plan and Train Frequently
In summary, here is the sequence for adult CPR:
1. Ensure the scene is safe and that you are not placed in danger. 2. Check for responsiveness. Is the patient completely unre-
sponsive?
3. Call for help and activate the EMS system by calling 911.
4. Direct someone to get an AED if available. Power the AED on
and attach to analyze as soon as possible.
5. Follow the directions from the 911 call taker. They are trained
to walk you through the steps.
6. If the patient is unresponsive and not breathing, perform
“hands only” CPR in conjunction with the use of the AED.
This scenario was meant to get us all thinking about CPR in the workplace. Like any high-stress/ low-frequency event, we need to make sure that we plan and train often. While you see a fundamental flow in this particular scenario, a formal class taught by an organization such as the American Heart Association, the
American Red Cross, or the National Safety Council is where the concepts get reinforced. There are many more in addition to those three mentioned, and a brief Internet search will help you find the right class and format for you and your co-workers. The impor- tance of a formal course cannot be understated. The concepts of cardiac arrest, CPR, and the AED are explained in much greater detail, and you will have hands-on practice under the guidance of a trained CPR instructor.
A good CPR/AED program in the workplace will include fre- quent training, AEDs on site and easily accessible, communication, and teamwork. Follow-up care for the workplace rescuers who may have to perform CPR on a co-worker cannot be overlooked. This is a high-stress event, and components of a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) need to be available for the workplace rescuers.
When a CPR/AED plan is in place and practiced, a person suf- fering cardiac arrest will receive care from trained individuals and teams working to save a life.
Dave Tobin retired from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Depart- ment, Fairfax, Va. after 26 years of service as a firefighter/paramedic. Currently, he is a Health and Safety Medical Technician with Am- phibious Medics. Amphibious Medics provides on-site and on-call first aid support across the United States and in many foreign coun- tries. You can email him at david.tobin@writeme.com for any mat- ters related to this article.
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