Why is there no legal requirement to invest in a defibrillator?

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Fire extinguisher

Why is there no legal requirement to invest in a defibrillator?

Every year, seven million people globally have a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). 30,000 of those are in the UK alone. Compare this to the 346 fire-related accidents in the UK every year. It is, of course, a legal requirement that employers ensure that they invest in a fire extinguisher. However, at Defib365, we believe that employees should also have access to defibrillators.

Survival

We cannot stress enough the importance of defibrillators, especially in the workplace. An SCA isn’t like a heart attack. There are little to no signs or symptoms that you are about to have an attack. What will happen is a sudden loss of consciousness, no breath, and no pulse. It can happen to anyone at any time. And if you don’t act fast, it will lead to death.

The survival rate is low and sits at 5-10%. When an SCA occurs, an individual has mere minutes to live. On average, the emergency services take 8-10 minutes to arrive, but with every minute that passes, the survival rate drops by 10%. In this time you could be doing something; you could be using a defibrillator.

Accessible

As an employer you have a duty of care; it’s time to take Sudden Cardiac Arrests as seriously as the risk of a fire. There shouldn’t have to be legalisation in place to make you invest in life-saving equipment.

With fire extinguishers, it is your responsibility to make them available to your staff, customers, tenants, or anyone else you have to duly protect. Not only that, there are guidelines in place for what to do if a fire occurs. So why isn’t there an equivalent for defibrillators?

You don’t need to be an expert to use a defibrillator. In a life or death situation, it’s better to do everything in your power to increase an employee’s chance of survival. Anyone can suddenly have an SCA – are you prepared? The cost of a defibrillator is a small price to pay to help keep yourself or your employees alive if the worst does happen.

At Defib365, it is our mission to provide businesses and communities across the UK with defibrillators. Investing in just one for your organisation can make the difference between life and death. Whether you would prefer to lease or buy our products, get in touch today on 0333 050 6649 to find out how we can help you.

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