Why get an AED?
A defibrillator (or AED) is a device that gives a high energy shock to the heart of someone in cardiac arrest.
Having an AED in your gym can save lives. For every minute it takes for an AED to reach someone and deliver a shock, survival chances drop by 10% (www.bhf.org.uk). Making sure your staff are CPR and AED trained shows Duty of Care, professionalism, legal compliance, and increases confidence levels at a crucial time.
AEDs need regular inspection and maintenance, with both pads and batteries needing replacement every 2-5 years depending on manufacturer. Dates are written on the components – adding these to your gym maintenance schedule can help ensure they are not missed.
Why not go a step further? The Resuscitation Council (UK) estimates that only 3% of cardiac arrests happen within the recommended retrieval distance of an AED. You can list your gym’s AED as being publicly available on www.heartsafe.org.uk and potentially help save lives outside the gym too.