Adding an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to your organization demonstrates your intention to protect your employees – and anybody else who may visit your worksite. That’s an important and well-intentioned step. Good for you!
You’ve hung that AED on the wall and there it sits, but are you and the AED truly ready for that unexpected cardiac emergency? And do you realize the compliance that goes with your device? Here are 4 items to consider in making sure you, and your device, are ready to go – and what to do afterward.
- Monthly inspections – are you checking to be sure the little light is indicating the AED is fully charged and working properly? Proper maintenance is vital to avoiding a failure. If you’re not checking it regularly, it’s time to revisit the owner’s manual and set up a company policy for performing that routine check.
- AED Registration - You have an obligation to register your device with State/Local authorities. Have you taken care of that?
- Post Event Reporting – do you realize that if you indeed have to use the AED, you are obligated to have the data downloaded, submitted to the proper regulatory agencies and certified by medical oversight enabling the device to be returned to service? This vital information helps the victim’s physician understand what occurred before the patient was in their care. And the data for AED events is collected into a national database that tracks the outcomes of the use of these devices.
- Post Event Refurbishment – after sudden cardiac arrest and an AED event, the device needs to be inspected and certified. Data is reset, batteries are tested, and supplies (such as the electrode pads) are replenished. You can’t just put the device back into its case after an event and assume it’s ready for the next emergency.