Odds are strong that if you have a cardiac emergency at work, no one there will know what to do to help you in the precious moments before paramedics can arrive. The American Heart Association says even though there are about 10-thousand cardiac arrests in workplaces each year, most employers are not prepared to render assistance. Paramedic Adam Fritsch says even if a business has an Automated External Defibrillator or AED available, a lot of employees would be afraid to use it – although they shouldnt be.
Not at all. Most AEDs today, especially the newer models, have only two buttons on them. Its as simple as pushing the on button to turn the machine on, and then just follow the prompts for what it tells you to do. Itll walk you entirely through the process, says Fritsch.
The American Heart Association points out that an AED is of no use if workers dont know where to find it or how to use it.
Fritsch also says there are a number of myths surrounding AEDs that can make people hesitate to use one to help a stricken fellow employee. Sometimes people are afraid theyll make a mistake and do more harm.
The reality with the AED is, you cant hurt a person with it. If you put it on a person and they dont need to shock, the AED will tell you not to deliver the shock: whereas, if it does tell you to shock, that person must be having a cardiac emergency and must need that shock, says Fritsch.
Recently surveys have shown that half of all workers in the US could not locate an AED at their workplace – and nearly two-thirds in the hospitality didnt know where it was.
My encouragement to any fellow entrepreneur or employer out there would be to at least consider having some of their staff trained, even if they cant afford having everybody trained. To at least have some people on each shift that are aware of what to do in these emergencies can really go a long way to make a big difference, says Fritsch.
The American Heart Association says an AED can save lives, and encourages employers and employees to learn how to use one.
SOURCE: Nebraska News Connection
