Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) affects over 350,000 people a year, and can occur anywhere, anytime, to anyone. One of the ways to increase the odds of survival is for companies to purchase automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and implement an AED Program in their organization.
OSHA encourages employers to provide AEDs in the workplace.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration advises that AEDs be considered for inclusion in workplace first-aid programs:
"An automated external defibrillator (AED) should be considered when selecting first-aid supplies and equipment…With recent advances in technology, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are now widely available, safe, effective, portable, and easy to use. They provide the critical and necessary treatment for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)… All worksites are potential candidates for AED programs because of the possibility of SCA and the need for timely defibrillation."
OSHA's Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program
October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Awareness Month
October is SCA Awareness Month and a great time to aquaint yourself with the warning signs of SCA, learn how to respond if someone around you goes into cardiac arrest, and create an AED program.
Symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest are drastic and immediate. If someone around you suddenly collapses, is unconscious, loses their pulse, and is not breathing, they are likely going into SCA. It is crucial to act fast. Here’s what to do.
- Call 911. Make sure someone can be on their way as fast as possible. Do this before you begin doing anything else.
- Perform CPR. Push hard and fast on the person’s chest at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. If you have not been trained, just continue chest compressions and allow their chest to rise completely before the next compression. Continue to do this until emergency personnel arrive.
- Use a portable defibrillator, if one is available.
According to the American Heart Association, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and early defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator more than double the chances that a victim will survive.
The ZOLL AED Plus is the first and only automated external defibrillator (AED) that provides Real CPR Help® for depth and rate of chest compressions during CPR, supporting the entire Chain of Survival, with easy to-understand audio prompts and illustrations.
What is Real CPR Help®: 
- Not pushing hard enough? The AED Plus®will tell you when to push harder.
- Pushing hard enough? It will say, "Good compressions."
- Not pushing fast enough? A metronome will lead you to the right rate.
- It will even show you the depth of each compression—in real time.
- Not yet started? The AED Plus will tell you to get started.
The AED Plus also has lowest total cost of ownership, once installed, because CPR-D-padz and batteries last five years, if not used. Replacing the batteries is convenient since the AED Plus is powered by 10 lithium batteries available from retail stores everywhere.
Let Rhyme help you in finding the right AED solution for your workplace. Contact us today to get started on your AED program.
DOWNLOAD THE ZOLL AED PLUS - SCA MONTH FLYER
Resources
AED Plus
AED in the Workplace
For more workplace safety tips see:
| National Safety Month: Prevent Slips, Trips, and Falls | National Safety Month: Hazard Tip Sheet |