AEDs at the heart of your school
Image courtesy of St John Ambulance Australia (Vic)
By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter
When someone experiences cardiac arrest, their heart suddenly stops beating and unless a heartbeat is restored, they will die. The chance of survival reduces 10 percent for every minute someone goes without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and a defibrillating shock. AEDs, also known as defibrillators, deliver a safe electric shock to restart the heart. CPR can temporarily maintain
42
blood and oxygen circulation until a defibrillating shock is administered. They are designed so that anyone can use them, even without much training. The device itself will talk you through the life-saving process. Schools can undertake a risk assessment and, following this, if they decide that in the event of a life-threatening injury, timely access to emergency services cannot be assured, they may decide that an AED is required at the school. School News was advised that schools should consider securing the defibrillator to a wall-mounted bracket or cabinet and keeping
the AED within a hard case for protection, within a visible and known area such as reception. It was also recommended to us that schools ensure accurate records are kept, and that the defibrillator, battery and pads are checked monthly for expiry dates and also that the child key/pads are both present and working correctly. There are often significantly fewer AEDs available in rural areas and coupled with the fact that rural residents have a disproportionately higher incidence of cardiac arrest, AEDs outside of urban areas are
HEALTH & SAFETY
crucial if lives are to be saved. Schools are often the heartbeat of rural communities and are therefore an ideal location for an AED to be situated. Providing services to the community such as hall hire, sports events, and meetings, increases the potential need for life-saving emergency equipment further. A clear and simple plan should be in place for all staff to be able to administer a defibrillating shock, from an AED situated in a central, accessible location. It is essential to ensure all first aid officers having up-to-date adequate training in all first aid matters, including CPR. Term 1, 2022 | school-news.com.au
