Page 12 - Occupational Health & Safety, September 2019

AED/CPR
one who’s unresponsive and not breathing normally.
All victims in cardiac arrest need chest compressions. In the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest, victims will have oxygen remaining in their lungs and bloodstream, so starting CPR with chest compressions can pump that blood to the victim’s brain and heart sooner. Research shows that rescuers who started CPR with opening the airway took 30 critical seconds longer to begin chest compressions than rescuers who began CPR with
chest compressions.
While CPR is not covered under any one standard, CPR train-
ing is required under certain standards and is recommended by OSHA as a best practice in a first aid program. Using an AED and CPR together are a must-have to increase a worker’s chances of sur- viving a cardiac arrest. It’s less likely a stopped heart can be restart- ed by chest compression alone. So, make sure to use the C-A-Bs of CPR with a properly maintained and working AED.
Is Your AED Program on Life Support?
AEDs have a proven track record of saving lives. They are now widely available, safe, effective, portable, and easy to use. As a re- sult, the popularity of AEDs in the workplace is increasing.
For this reason, you may be thinking of purchasing, or already have purchased, one or more AEDs for your workplace as part of your first aid management plan. That’s the easy part. You also need to have a written program to help you effectively manage the AEDs in your workplace. It must address each of the topics below and workplace first-aid providers must be properly trained about them.
Obtaining an AED. OSHA recommends, but doesn’t require, that you have an AED in the workplace. Surprisingly, OSHA doesn’t even have any standards about AEDs. State laws and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actually regulate AED use.
Each company should assess its own requirements as part of its first aid response. However, OSHA does say that an employer should consider having an AED available if:
■ Many people work closely together
■ Confined spaces are present
■ Electric-powered devices are used
■ Lightning may occur at outdoor worksites
■ Workers may seek treatment for heart attack symptoms
■ Fitness units and cafeterias are located on-site
■ Companies operate remote sites (off-shore drilling rigs, construction projects, marine vessels, power transmission lines, and energy pipe lines)
The FDA requires that you have a physician’s prescription in order to purchase an AED. The name of the physician and the date of the prescription should be noted in your written program.
When deciding upon the number of AEDs to purchase, re- sponders must be able to reach the victim, make an assessment, and begin treatment within three to five minutes.
Assigning Responsibility. The written program should iden- tify the individual who has overall responsibility for your AED pro- gram. AEDs need to be properly maintained and available for use when they are needed. Having one individual in charge makes it easier to ensure that maintenance schedules are followed, required training is completed, and AED inspections and testing takes place per manufacturer recommendations.
Some state laws require that a physician provide oversight of your AED program. In addition to providing the prescription to
purchase the AED, your medical professional can provide guidance on the number of AEDs needed, their distribution, user training, and developing an emergency response plan. This information should be detailed in your written program.
Providing Training. The written program should include detailed training requirements for those who will use the AEDs. AED training is inexpensive and readily available from a variety of sources such as The American Red Cross and The American Heart Association. AED training can usually be added to the cardiopul- monary resuscitation (CPR) classes that workplace emergency re- sponders receive.
OSHA suggests that employees responding to an emergency be trained to:
■ Recognize sudden cardiac arrest and notify EMS personnel ■ Perform CPR
■ Provide early defibrillation with an AED
■ Care for the victim until EMS personnel arrive
Include employees from various departments and shifts in training to ensure broad coverage, especially over holiday and va- cation time.
The written program should spell out who’s authorized to use the AEDs. If only trained members of your workplace emergency response team will use the AED, you should provide a list of names in the written program. If you will allow anyone who’s trained and certified to use the AEDs, that should be in writing as well.
Ensuring Maintenance. As with any equipment, an AED must receive regular and proper inspection, service, and maintenance to ensure it operates correctly. Your supplier and the AED’s written in- structions will provide you with this information. This can vary by manufacturer, but once the unit’s used, service is always required. Periodic self-diagnostic tests and regular battery replacement, as recommended by the manufacturer, will help ensure that when the unit is needed it’ll operate as designed.
A designated person(s) at your facility should be responsible for routine AED inspection, service, and maintenance. The written program should include what that maintenance is, how often it’s performed, and who’s responsible for seeing that it’s properly done.
AED service records should be part of the written program. It can be very useful to keep a written record on each individual AED in your facility in case you are ever asked to produce that infor- mation. This includes specific information on all tests and mainte- nance done to the unit, when they were done, and by whom. You need to note each time the unit was used and what maintenance was performed following use. Also, record when pads and batteries have been replaced (reference the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule).
Ray Chishti joined J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. in 2017 as a Work- place Safety Editor. Before joining J. J. Keller, Ray served as an EH&S professional, both in auditing and leadership positions with new con- struction, existing facilities, and large EPC projects valued between one million and two billion dollars. He has 12 years of ES&H expe- rience in a variety of industries, including EPC projects, fossil fuel power plants, gas distribution and transmission, and electrical trans- mission work. Ray’s experience also includes an additional four years of EH&S experience in retail grocery stores and warehouse facilities, as well as construction of a college campus. Ray holds a Juris Doctor with a concentration in Occupational, Safety, and Health.
12 Occupational Health & Safety | SEPTEMBER 2019
www.ohsonline.com