Page 77 - OHS, June 2024

a shock from an AED in the fifirst minute live and your chance of sur- vival while waiting for emergency medical services during a cardiac emergency decreases by 10 percent every minute without CPR.
Selecting the Right AED
Choosing the right AED involves several factors. It is important to select a device that is simple to use, with clear instructions that can assist an untrained bystander in performing life-saving measures. Modern AEDs provide step-by-step voice commands and visual aids to guide the rescuer through the process. Features to consider include the ease of maintenance, battery life, and the availability of pediatric settings or attachments if the device will be placed in an environment frequented by children. Make sure you are selecting an AED that is easy to use so even an untrained bystander can fol- low the prompts. These types of AEDs help responders deliver CPR by providing text, voice, and visual guidance as well as real-time feedback on compression rate and depth.
Placement and Accessibility
AEDs should be easily accessible and placed in locations where they can be quickly reached during an emergency. The standard is that AEDs should be accessible within three minutes from any location within a facility.
Strategic placement of AEDs is critical for effective emergency response. AEDs should be placed in community areas like schools,
gyms and athletic facilities, large offiffices, and shopping centers. In workplace environments, optimal placement for AEDs involves high-traffiffic and easily accessible areas such as main lobbies, large offiffice spaces, conference rooms, employee cafeterias, and near ele- vators in corporate buildings and business complexes. ThThey should be clearly marked and placed where anyone can access. Avoid plac- ing an AED in areas that are not always available like a locked office or enclosed cabinet. If you are storing in an enclosure or cabinet, it should be clearly labeled and easy to open by anyone if needed.
Maintenance and Regular Checks
Maintaining an AED is essential to ensure its functionality in an emer- gency. Regular maintenance checks are highly recommended and should include inspecting the battery level, ensuring pads are sealed and within their expiration date, and confirming that the device soft- ware is up to date. Many AED models now come equipped with self- testing features that alert the owner if there is a problem. Make sure that you are conducting regular maintenance checks so all of the com- ponents required during an emergency are working properly.
Training and Empowerment
The data is clear: training your employees to immediately inter- vene with CPR and an AED can help save lives.
In a study of Public-Access Defibrillation (PAD)8, communities with volunteers trained in CPR and the use of AEDs had twice as many vic-
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