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Automated External
Defibrillators (AEDs) |
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Workplace |
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Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are an important lifesaving technology
and may have a role to play in treating workplace cardiac arrest. Most sudden
cardiac deaths occur outside of the hospital. It is estimated that 5 percent or
less of victims of sudden cardiac deaths are successfully resuscitated and
discharged alive from the hospital.1
In a study of Public-Access Defibrillation (PAD), communities with volunteers
trained in CPR and the use of AEDs had twice as many victims survive compared to
communities with volunteers trained only in CPR.2 To assist in addressing AED
issues, information is provided below regarding occupational risk factors and
the use of AEDs in the workplace.
- Automated External Defibrillators Can Save Lives During Cardiac Emergencies. OSHA Publication 3174, (2001), 1 MB
PDF,
2 pages. Stresses the need for AEDs in the workplace to save lives. States that AEDs are effective, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive.
- Saving Sudden Cardiac Arrest Victims in the Workplace: Automated External Defibrillators. OSHA Publication 3185-09N, (2003).
Also available as a 376
KB PDF, 4 pages.
Provides information on the importance of readily-available AEDs, and encourages the installation of the
devices in workplaces. Also includes a list of resources for more detailed
guidance on the use of AEDs as well as how to obtain qualified training.
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Cardiac Arrest and Automated External Defibrillators. OSHA Technical
Information Bulletin (TIB), (2001, December 17). Also available as an 18 KB
PDF,
4 pages. Provides an information
resource to aid in decision-making about these devices at individual worksites.
Informs employers about the use of automated external
defibrillators (AEDs), a life-saving technology, in the treatment of cardiac
arrest at work.
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Automated External Defibrillation in the Occupational Setting. American
College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), (2006, May).
Provides position statement of ACOEM urging placement of AEDs in selected
workplaces, and guidelines for employer programs.
- Do
You or Does Your Organization Need an AED? American Red Cross of Central
Maryland. Provides a list of businesses and industries, hazards involved, and the need for
AEDs
in the workplace.
- Occupational Heart Disease.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Safety and Health
Topic. Addresses many of the hazards associated with occupational risks of coronary heart disease.
- Saving a Life Is as Easy as A-E-D.
American Red Cross Health and Safety Services. Introduces AED technology and provides answers to commonly asked questions.
References
- Culley L., et al. "Public
Access Defibrillation in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Community-Based Study." Circulation
Online (2004, March 15). Also available in Print, Circulation (2004,
April): 1859-1863.
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Hallstrom, A., and J. Ornato. "Public-Access-Defibrillation and Survival after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest." New England Journal of Medicine 351.7(2004,
August 12): 637-646.
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