Automated external defibrillator (AED) in the office
Awareness, is key in communication to employees
Is Your Company Ready for SCA Respond?
If we were ever asked to describe what kind of world we want to live in, we would say we do not want a world where diseases, sufferings and pains are the norm. We certainly don’t want a world where there’s nothing but illness and pain! We want a world, where health and protection prevails no matter how. Have you ever imagined how many people (hundreds if not thousands) who have faced sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) every year? If not, please read this article first “What can cause your heart to stop beating?” at www.mayoclinic.org
This is a call for all Human Resources (HR) directors/managers whose an integral part of their duties is to safeguard employees’ lives in the workplace. Have you ever heard of “AEDs”? If not, please read more information on it at www.incenter.medical.philips.com. Well, open your eyes, ears and noses! An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a device that checks a person’s heart and delivers an electric shock if it has suddenly stopped beating normally. All you want to know about AEDs is in this article titled: “The Spark of Life”. Should we suggest ways to solve the deadly SCA – now please let’s focus on this catastrophic crisis. We would like to say that not only AEDs should be globally provided everywhere in gymnasiums, schools, organizations and workplace. Signs should also be put up, as well as flyers distributed among employees and co-workers to alert those who might face this fatal crisis. It should also be the HR staff’s main target to implement strict measures to train and avail such device in the workplace, in case of emergencies in order to help save a life. People who are looking after HR have to make sure that there is a policy in place and train their employees on CPR and the efficient way of using AEDs. This will definitely contribute to help save lives of whoever be a victim of SCA. Lately, Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) have been established in quite few companies and organizations to plan and train co-workers, besides representing the AED device to be easily understandable to the user. (See www.osha.gov for more information) Therefore, it is the HR directors’ main responsibility to conduct EAPs. Furthermore, AEDs should be placed in visible and easily accessible locations. It is undeniably true that lower death rates are noticed due to the availability and usage of AEDs in workplace. As long as AED is in place, the likelihood of saving a life increases. It is high time we all stop and give some thoughts to the importance of AEDs in saving a human life. People shouldn’t bury their heads in sand or turn a blind eye to the negative consequences of not cracking one’s brain and taking sudden cardiac arrest seriously. It is easier to prepare for an emergency than to have to explain why you did not. Implement “Philips AED” in your organization and put your employee’s lives on the line.
