Many people lack the confidence to use life-saving defibrillators at work. Here’s what you can do

Research from health charity St John Ambulance shows that a quarter of UK adults have experienced a cardiac arrest incident in some way, either as a first aider, bystander or patient. With more than one in seven cardiac arrest incidents occurring in the workplace, access to defibrillators is critical. To address workplace cardiac emergencies, St John Ambulance has launched its easy-to-use HEART defibrillators at work to empower employees to act quickly to save lives. Prompt CPR and defibrillation – which delivers an electric shock to restore someone’s normal heart rhythm – can more than double survival rates during cardiac arrest. Yet, over half of people don’t know how to give CPR, while almost two-thirds lack confidence to use defibrillators at work.

A lack of first aid training also contributes to the confidence gap, as nearly half (49%) of people would feel panicked if faced with a medical emergency. However, the study finds there is a strong appetite to learn: more than half (56%) consider cardiac arrest response among the most important first aid skills. 16% also believe mandatory first aid training at work would most encourage people to help in a first aid emergency, including using a defibrillator.

Although state schools are the only UK workplaces required to install defibrillators by law, all employers must provide “adequate and appropriate” first aid equipment based on risk assessments. For higher risk environments, not having a defibrillator could be considered a breach of the employer’s duty of care.

Claire Vaughan, Director of People and Culture at St John Ambulance, said: “Cardiac arrests often happen in the workplace, but too few businesses have defibrillators. By training staff to know how to respond to a cardiac emergency and installing these simple-to-use, life-saving devices, employers can give people the confidence to act. This way, businesses will give employees, customers and visitors the best chance of surviving a cardiac arrest in their workplace.”

St John Ambulance’s new HEART defibrillators have step-by-step guidance to deliver fast, effective support. The HEART One and Two defibrillators are small, lightweight and robust, building on the charity’s 150 years of first aid expertise.  The HEART defibrillator was named by Robin, one of St John Ambulance’s Badgers, who donated the first unit to the Scouts HQ building in Portsmouth. With the defibrillator on site for use by members of the public, community groups and those using the nearby Portsmouth Football Club training ground, the donation will improve cardiac survival rates for a wide community.

All profits from HEART defibrillator sales go back into supporting the charity’s life-saving work, helping to fund the training and equipment that volunteers need to keep local communities safe.  In addition, when a life is saved with the HEART defibrillator, the manufacturer will donate an additional defibrillator to the local community and replace the pads of the defibrillator used – turning one life saved into many more protected.

Claire added: “By installing defibrillators in the workplace, HR and health and safety professionals can make a real difference to survival outcomes. With a HEART defibrillator from St John Ambulance, teams are not just preparing to save a life at work, they’re helping to save more lives within their local community and nationwide.”

For more information, visit sja.org.uk/heart-pr