Treat AED readiness as a response program, not a cabinet purchase

Source facts: AEDs belong within a workplace first-aid program

OSHA’s Automated External Defibrillators in the Workplace resource describes AEDs as an important lifesaving technology that may help treat workplace cardiac arrest. It points employers to OSHA publications on readily available AEDs and the fundamentals of a workplace first-aid program, including training and program considerations.

An AED analyzes heart rhythm and, when appropriate, can direct or deliver a shock. It does not replace recognition, immediate activation of emergency medical services, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or transfer to professional responders. Readiness therefore includes people, communications, access, supplies, inspection, and post-use restoration in addition to the device.

OSHA’s resource is guidance, not a complete AED program specification. State AED and Good Samaritan laws, emergency medical services requirements, medical oversight, workplace first-aid obligations, device manufacturer instructions, building conditions, and the organization’s risk assessment can govern placement, training, registration, inspection, and reporting. A qualified medical or safety professional should approve the program.

DSE recommendation: design the response from recognition to EMS handoff

Assign a program owner and qualified clinical or medical oversight as required. Inventory every AED by unique identifier, exact location, model, serial number, responsible department, inspection interval, pad type and expiration, battery status, accessory kit, service history, and post-use record. Include tenant-owned units only where coordination and responsibilities are explicit.

1. Place for retrieval, not decoration. Evaluate expected population, work hazards, building size, travel barriers, operating hours, locked zones, elevators, outdoor areas, and responder access. Use consistent signs and an accessible mounting location. Do not hide a device behind reception that is locked after hours.
2. Build one first-action sequence. Train staff to recognize an unresponsive person who is not breathing normally, activate 911, begin CPR within their training, send someone for the AED, meet responders, and follow the device prompts. Define how security opens the correct entrance and directs EMS without delaying care.
3. Inspect the whole station. At the approved interval, verify presence, status indicator, physical condition, battery, unexpired sealed pads, cable and connector condition, required accessories, legible instructions, intact cabinet and signs, clear access, and environmental limits. Record and correct deficiencies immediately.
4. Address different users and conditions. Follow approved guidance for pediatric patients, water, metal surfaces, implanted devices, medication patches, chest hair, gloves, and infection control. Stock only compatible supplies and teach responders not to postpone device use while searching for a perfect setup.
5. Exercise the physical response. Use a trainer device, never a live AED, for drills. Time recognition, 911 activation, retrieval, CPR start, AED arrival, entrance access, and EMS handoff on different shifts. Test a missing responder, locked route, crowded lobby, moved furniture, and a device temporarily out of service.
6. Restore after every event. Remove the device from service under the approved procedure, preserve event data as required, notify medical oversight, replace pads and used accessories, inspect or service the unit, support involved employees, complete required reports, and document its return to readiness.

Cabinet alarms or monitoring can alert staff that a device was removed, but they must not impede access or substitute for inspection. Treat expiration alerts as a forecast, not proof that supplies remain present and undamaged. Arrange replacement stock before the end date and control model-specific compatibility.

Review response times, inspection completion, overdue corrections, expired consumables, training coverage, drill barriers, and post-use restoration. The useful measure is not AED ownership. It is whether a witness can summon help, start the approved response, retrieve a ready device, use it without an avoidable barrier, and transfer care to EMS.

Official references

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Automated External Defibrillators: AEDs in the Workplace.
• OSHA, Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program, OSHA 3317.