Defibrillator in the Workplace

antw23uk

Guys apologies if this isnt in the right section but my brain is frazzled and I just need a point in the right direction.

I work for a management team and work in a stand alone office (gatehouse) for a large business park. One of the tenants/ contractors in the park have given us a brand new defibrillator and wants it kept at the Gatehouse (makes sense)

BUT although he thinks its as easy as handing it over what am I supposed to do now? I am first aid trained so would obviously have no trouble using it on someone but do i advertise it by leaflets in everyone's pigeon holes? Do i tweet that we now have one at the park and its kept at the Gatehouse?Do i write to each tenant to advise them we have it? Register it somewhere so people can go on their smartphone app to find the closest one etc?

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance:o

lewishardwick

How secure is said gate house? It it easily accessible? Is the business park a 24/7 operation, of so will the gatehouse be too, or more importantly the guard as said gatehouse able to rush it to another part of the site without abandoning their post? With an AED every minute counts, the quicker it's used the better the outcome.

This is the sort of things a risk assessment will need to be completed for and if it's available for general use, notices put up and clients informed so they are aware.

Whilst it's ALMOST idiot proof, many people shy away from this sort of thing (a bit like CPR) so some training might be advisable. The British Red Cross and St John Ambulance both provide off-site and workplace training. The session usually lasts 4 hours.

Undervalued

antw23uk wrote: »

Guys apologies if this isnt in the right section but my brain is frazzled and I just need a point in the right direction.

I work for a management team and work in a stand alone office (gatehouse) for a large business park. One of the tenants/ contractors in the park have given us a brand new defibrillator and wants it kept at the Gatehouse (makes sense)

BUT although he thinks its as easy as handing it over what am I supposed to do now? I am first aid trained so would obviously have no trouble using it on someone but do i advertise it by leaflets in everyone's pigeon holes? Do i tweet that we now have one at the park and its kept at the Gatehouse?Do i write to each tenant to advise them we have it? Register it somewhere so people can go on their smartphone app to find the closest one etc?

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance:o

It this is needed, is it actually going to available quick enough from the "gatehouse". What happens when you are on holiday, off sick or out to lunch?

I used to be a member a club for what was a reasonably high risk activity. One of our members was an A & E consultant who gave excellent first aid lectures etc. He specified what he wanted in the medical kits around the site. However realistically, whilst that was great if he happened to be there when there was a serious accident, it would be at best wasted and at worst dangerous in the wrong hands!

Reggie_Rebel

Undervalued wrote: »

it would be at best wasted and at worst dangerous in the wrong hands!

Rubbish. AED's guide you through the steps and won't administer a shock unless it is safe to and needed. They are safer than an idiot who has done a days First Aid course and thinks he's Charlie Fairhead.

divadee

Reggie_Rebel wrote: »

Rubbish. AED's guide you through the steps and won't administer a shock unless it is safe to and needed. They are safer than an idiot who has done a days First Aid course and thinks he's Charlie Fairhead.

Agree with this. I have done a AED course and it is simple to use. The machine tells you what you need to do. It won't administer a shock unless it detects an irregular or no heartbeat. You can't override it.

Of course you may get an idiot that doesn't stand clear when the machine tells them to and they get a shock as well..... But you can't cater for all idiots.

Stigy

lewishardwick wrote: »

Whilst it's ALMOST idiot proof, many people shy away from this sort of thing (a bit like CPR) so some training might be advisable. The British Red Cross and St John Ambulance both provide off-site and workplace training. The session usually lasts 4 hours.

I agree. I'm a Community Responder for SCAS and have been trained in use of an AED. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they are to use, but can also see why some would be apprehensive. For example, using an AED as per training is all well and good if your casualty is a male, with easy to cut clothing and no chest hair. On the flipside, if they're female, or (and?!?) have a gorilla like chest, would somebody without any training know to shave parts of the chest for the pads? Would they also know to or be comfortable with cutting a bra off? Would they know where a pacemaker would be positioned and how to avoid it?

All of this is arguably not massively important because lets face it, if they're not breathing, they'll die without any help anyway so what's the worst that can happen?

Ant wrote:

Guys apologies if this isnt in the right section but my brain is frazzled and I just need a point in the right direction.

I work for a management team and work in a stand alone office (gatehouse) for a large business park. One of the tenants/ contractors in the park have given us a brand new defibrillator and wants it kept at the Gatehouse (makes sense)

BUT although he thinks its as easy as handing it over what am I supposed to do now? I am first aid trained so would obviously have no trouble using it on someone but do i advertise it by leaflets in everyone's pigeon holes? Do i tweet that we now have one at the park and its kept at the Gatehouse?Do i write to each tenant to advise them we have it? Register it somewhere so people can go on their smartphone app to find the closest one etc?

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance

If its a public access AED why not have it attached to the outside of the gatehouse building? The sad reality is that AEDs are often stolen or vandalised, but if you have a cabinet to store it it, measures to reduce this can be undertaken, including a keypad which a 999 orperator will give a caller a code for should they need it. Relevant signage should also be present.

TELLIT01

To answer the OP, I would have thought notifying an appropriate person at each business would be the way to go. It's up to them then to inform whichever of their own staff they think necessary.

antw23uk

Thanks all.
The Gatehouse is a secure building with 24/7 security officer attendance. There is only one way in and one way out of the park so everyone has to come in and out of the barriers so it makes sense it is here.

I will write up a procedure for our HSSE and contact each business owner and let them know we have it here but that no security officer will bring it down to any tenants and it must be collected from the Gatehouse (this I cannot change although if i am here of course i would jump in the car and drive it down and use it on someone)

I have also been trained on how to use one but i felt huge apprehension dealing with this yesterday (my brain is a bit xmas frazzled right now!!!) but actually when i started ready the instruction manual it all came back to me and actually i felt comfortable knowing I would use this if i ever needed to.

Everyone's comments much appreciated. Thanks again.

TELLIT01

Much as I admire your desire to help if and when required, you also need to consider your employment situation. If you are the only security person in the gatehouse would you be permitted to leave to take the defib?

getmore4less

Should of asked them what they expected you to do with it.

Who is responsible for the regular maintenance and testing?

foolofbeans

We have just purchased some defibrillators and had to register them with our local ambulance service so if anybody dialled 999 they could be informed of the defib location and access code. You may need to do the same thing unless it will be open all the time?
We are having training sessions provided free of charge from the local First Responders who use the defibs regularly. Check out your local Parish or Town Council for some advice as there is a big surge of local councils providing defibs for their local area and they may have some useful advice for you.