LONDON--More than half of British businesses do not have an automated external defibrillator (AED), a recent poll has found – despite the impact the device has on cardiac arrest survival rates.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) commissioned a survey of 1,000 business decision-makers across the UK and found that 513 did not have the lifesaving equipment at work. Almost two thirds of those who said ‘no’ also come from medium to very large companies.
In support of National Heart Month this February, IOSH is encouraging institutions to consider whether they should install a defibrillator, which restarts the heart using an electric shock.
IOSH research and information services manager Jane White said that institutions and business should "take a good look at the number of employees they have, their demographics and the kind of sector they work in, to assess whether they should get a defibrillator on-site.”
Currently, 30,000 people in the UK each year have a cardiac arrest outside hospitals and NHS data shows just 18.5% of them survive. American statistics also show 13% of workplace fatalities result from cardiac arrest.
White added: “Using a defibrillator within the first few minutes after collapse gives the best chance of saving a life – it can increase survival rates by as much as 75%. This just proves to businesses how important it is to have the equipment on-site.”
Of the 327 respondents from small companies who took the poll, 60% said they didn’t have a defibrillator. And 316 of the total 513 – almost two thirds – of those who said they didn’t have the lifesaving equipment came from medium, large and very large institutions.
When those who had replied ‘no’ in the survey were asked why their company had not acquired a defibrillator, 45 said it hadn’t even occurred to them, 56 felt there was no need, 34 said they had too few staff and 31 put it down to cost.
“This is actually worrying news for us, especially where the larger companies are concerned. Devices cost around £1,000 – can big companies with healthy turnovers afford not to have one?” asks White.
“If someone suffers a cardiac arrest at work and does not survive, it is devastating for their family, friends and workmates and it can also cause a great deal of stress for the person giving CPR. Companies also need to consider the impact of losing a member of staff, their fellow employees, factoring in the cost of down-time, counselling and any replacement or training of staff. The message here is not only an ethical one, it also has financial implications. Of course, a defibrillator is good health and safety practice because it saves lives, but it also makes sound business sense.”
In the education sector specifically, most said they had not acquired an AED. More...