Page 76 - OHS, June 2024

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Cardiac Arrest: Empowering Readiness
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Understanding the crucial role that AEDs play in workplace emergency preparedness.
BY IAN DURRANT
In today’s fast-paced work environment, statistics reveal a trou- bling reality: a workplace injury occurs every seven seconds in the United States, totaling 5,250 fatal injuries1 and 2.8 million
2 non-fatalinjuries eachyear.
Workplace injuries and risks vary by industry but all workplac- es should prepare for potentially fatal and unexpected incidents such as sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). According to the AHA3, 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 show4 that more than 10,000 SCAs specifically occur in workplaces every year.
This alarming rate highlights the need for robust safety prepared- ness plans specifically to address the potential for sudden cardiac arrest. Central to these plans is the integration of Automated Exter- nal 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 effec- tive 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 ar- rest, 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) stan- dards, 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 well5.
In addition to OSHA, other standards like the American Na- tional Standards Institute6 (ANSI) provide guidelines that help organizations exceed basic legal requirements and enhance safety measures. Following and ideally exceeding ANSI guidelines will help businesses prevent workplace injuries that could lead to po- tential injury, fatality or litigation. Make sure you continue to stay up to date on regulatory requirements for your workplace because regulations can change. In addition to guidelines varying by indus- try, AED requirements may vary by state so if you have facilities that are in more than one state, guidelines may be different.
The Importance of AEDs in Saving Lives
AEDs are a crucial component in responding to sudden cardiac ar- rest events. As mentioned above, sudden cardiac arrest can happen unexpectedly to all demographics and an AED is used to assist vic- tims when sudden cardiac arrest strikes with little or no warning. An AED is a lightweight, portable device designed to deliver an electric shock through the chest to the heart. This shock can potentially stop an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden cardiac arrest. According to the American Heart Association (AHA)7, 9 in 10 cardiac arrest victims who receive
74 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2024
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