You’ve made sure your staff is up to date with their CPR training and safe use of the AED. Everyone is aware of the odds of surviving a cardiac event increase drastically if they use the AED within the first seven minutes. After that, restoring the heart’s natural rhythm requires the device’s intervention—and that can only happen if the person responding to the emergency can quickly locate, move and use the AED.
Where You Keep the AED Matters
Having well-trained personnel will not do much good if they cannot access the AED. The machines are expensive, so it is not uncommon to find them locked up in a way that requires multiple steps to access them. This eats away at valuable minutes and reduces the likelihood of a good outcome for the person in cardiac arrest. A typical poorly designed storage scenario looks something like this:
- A limited number of staff members know where the AED is located.
- Only a few of these staff members are on-site at any one time.
- The AED is behind a locked door, and someone with the proper keys must be located to open it.
- Behind the door, the AED is in a locked cabinet.
- In the cabinet, the AED is in another case, which may or may not also have another lock or mechanism that must be removed before it can be opened.
This seems like the best way to secure expensive equipment and prevent unwanted use or tampering. However, when a genuine emergency arises, the likelihood of completing this series of steps in an orderly fashion is incredibly low.
The Best Way to Store Your AED
Installing an AED cabinet to mount the device is crucial to ensuring accessibility while still protecting your investment. When an AED needs to be protected from damage or theft, place an AED wall cabinet in a high-traffic staff area that is restricted from public access. With the AED in a highly visible location, staff will see it regularly and remember its location. Seeing the device can also help reinforce their training and raise interest among those not yet certified in its use.
For professional AED cabinets, contact NCE Empowering Safety today.
