The Health and Safety Regulations 1981 define for businesses how they must create a safe working environment for their staff. This is across all sectors within business.
Despite this piece of legislation, sudden cardiac arrest is overlooked and defibrillators are not a legal requirement.
What is a Defibrillator?
Defibrillators are life-saving devices that help victims of cardiac arrest.
When the heart enters into cardiac arrest, it beats irregularly, therefore no blood is pumped around the body and the organs are deprived. A defibrillator delivers a shock that stops the heart, allowing it to restart in a regular rhythm.
Are Defibrillators a Legal Requirement?
Every office, building site and factory in the UK requires a fire extinguisher and fire blanket, by law. Currently, having a defibrillator is not a legal requirement.
There are 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK, every year. Without immediate treatment, 90-95% of these arrests are fatal. However, delivering treatment within 3-5 minutes of the victim collapsing increases their survival chance to 74%.
Cardiac arrest does not discriminate and factors including the victim's current health condition, age and gender do not feature when determining the cause. Effective CPR and defibrillation is the only definitive treatment for victims of cardiac arrest. Equipping your workplace significantly improves survival chances.
What's the Right Defibrillator for My Business?
Your workplace surroundings will help determine what defibrillator is right for you and whilst all devices do the same thing, they all include different features that differentiate the environments they suit.
For shock delivery, investors can either choose from a semi-automatic or a fully automatic. A fully automatic defibrillator will deliver the shock - if required - of its own accord whereas a semi-automatic requires responders to press a button to deliver the shock.
Different workplace environments present different risks, therefore investors need to consider these prior to purchasing a device. After rigorous testing, all defibrillators are assigned an IP rating that determines what the device can withstand. Examples include:
- IP21: protected from touch and condensation
- IP44: protected from tools, small wires and water spray
- IP56: protected against limited dust ingress and high-pressure jets
An office environment doesn't present as many risks as a wind farm or a power station, therefore it is highly advisable for high risk environments, investors choose a device with a higher IP rating.
Defibrillators are a Necessity
Without a defibrillator, you're not heart safe and unable to respond to a cardiac emergency. Given the current ambulance response rates for urban areas stand at 11 minutes, businesses further away from civilization are putting their employees at great risk if they have no defibrillator.
Ensure your wokplace is heart safe and ready to save a life by investing in one of our bespoke Office Packages.
defibshop are committed to equipping everyone with the skills and knowledge to save a life. Speak to one of our Product Specialists on 0161 776 7422 or fill out our Contact Form.
