Most Australians spend a third of their waking hours at work, which is why every business should have a workplace defibrillator. Offices, warehouses, retail floors, and construction sites become second homes where colleagues share coffee, deadlines, and the occasional birthday cake. These are also the places where a medical emergency can unfold without warning, turning an ordinary day into a moment that tests whether a workplace is truly prepared. A workplace defibrillator sits quietly until that moment arrives, and then it becomes the most important piece of equipment in the building. A workplace defibrillator can save lives.
What Is an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and How Does It Work?
An automated external defibrillator is a portable, battery-operated device that can deliver a controlled electric shock to a person’s heart. Designed to be used by anyone, their clear voice prompts guide users through each step of the process, from pad placement to shock delivery. It automatically detects whether the person has a heart rhythm and will only prompt you to deliver a shock if appropriate.
A staff member should be nominated to perform regular checks on workplace defibrillators. They must confirm the battery is charged, and verify that electrode pads remain sealed and within their expiry date.
Why Every Workplace Should Have AEDs
Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, regardless of age or apparent fitness. Sudden cardiac arrest strikes when the heart rhythm malfunctions, with common causes including coronary disease, previous heart damage, electrocution, drug overdose, or severe trauma. The victim collapses, stops breathing normally, and can lose consciousness within seconds. Each minute without defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by approximately 7 to 10 percent.
Employers have duty of care obligations under work health and safety legislation. A person conducting a business or undertaking must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the health and safety of workers and other people is not put at risk. AEDs in the workplace represent good practice, and a risk assessment should determine whether your facility would benefit from having a workplace defibrillator.
Where to Position Workplace Defibrillators
AEDs should be located in high-traffic areas where they are visible and can be retrieved within three minutes of a cardiac event. Reception areas, break rooms, and main corridors are ideal. Large sites or facilities with separate buildings should have multiple units positioned so that no worker is more than a three-minute round trip from a workplace defibrillator.
Placing clear signage ensures all staff know the location of your workplace defibrillator. Position signs at eye level near the device and at key points throughout the building, such as stairwells and corridor junctions.
Lifesaving First Aid Training Matters
A workplace defibrillator is only one link in the chain of survival. First aid training prepares your team to recognise a cardiac emergency, call for help, perform CPR, and use an AED before the ambulance arrives. Group first aid training ensures multiple team members can respond to any emergency.
Your staff deserve a workplace where help is never far away. Enrol your team in a group first aid training course and give them the skills to help save a life.
FAQs
Which Occupations are Most at Risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
Workers in high-stress, physically demanding roles face elevated cardiac risks. Firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and construction workers experience conditions that can trigger cardiac events in individuals with underlying heart disease. Jobs involving electrical hazards, extreme temperatures, or prolonged physical exertion also warrant attention to emergency preparedness.
What Items Should Be in a Workplace First Aid Kit?
A workplace first aid kit should include adhesive dressings, sterile gauze, bandages, scissors, tweezers, and disposable gloves, saline, antiseptic spray, tape, safety pins, a thermal blanket, eye pads, hydrogel sachets, and instant cold packs.
What Are Good Samaritan Laws?
Good Samaritan legislation protects people who provide emergency assistance in good faith. These laws ensure anyone in Australia can use an AED or perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation without fear of legal liability, provided you act without recklessness and are not intoxicated.
