American Pan UK have recently installed a defibrillator and indoor cabinet at their warehouse in Irlam, West Manchester.

Catalin Sfeatcu kindly invited us to American Pan UK to see the defibrillator in situ and learn why he has decided to invest in a device for the safety of his colleagues.

Catalin explained to us that he purchased the defibrillator because of the high awareness of sudden cardiac arrests (SCA) and defibrillators in the UK as well as the health & safety of his work colleagues as “you never know when an SCA is going to happen or where.”

For every minute that passes in an SCA emergency, the patient’s chance of survival decreases by 10%. Having a defibrillator nearby can drastically increase survival chances.

The device American Pan UK have is a Zoll AED Plus. Catalin explained that the choice of this defibrillator was down to him and his staff being trained on a similar device. This defibrillator is stored safely in an Avia Cabinet to keep the device secure in a busy & dangerous working environment. The defibrillator is easily visible and is installed next to a first aid box.

The defibrillator has its own ‘how to use guide’ created by Catalin for staff to follow if they require. He explained that “all defibrillators give you each step of a rescue vocally and could not be easier to use in what can be a stressful situation to be in”. His staff are aware of the defibrillator and walk past it daily while working around the warehouse.

Having a readily available defibrillator increases the chance of survival. If a shock is delivered within 3-5 minutes the chance of survival increases from 6% to 74%.

Employers have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their staff. Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) can strike any time, without warning. A defibrillator in the workplace ensures you can provide effective treatment to the casualty without delay and increase their chances of survival.

In a workplace, training in CPR and the use of a defibrillator can improve the quality and efficiency of the rescue. Eight members of staff at American Pan UK are trained in health and safety, a course which they repeat every 3 years. Catalin expressed his interest in our CPR & defibrillation familiarisation courses with Imperative Training who train over 22,000 learners every year, making workplaces all over the UK a safer place for everyone.

Once again, we thank Catalin for inviting us to his warehouse and for expressing the need to keep his workplace and area ready to #SaveALife

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