What's AED Compliance Management?
- By Cardio Partners
- Mar 1, 2021
AED cabinets may be placed in different areas depending on the building, but the most important detail is the same—wherever you place your cabinet, make sure the cabinet is visible and able to be accessed quickly and easily.
An effective AED Program implements a 3-minute response time from the collapse of the victim to retrieving the AED and using it on the victim. If you have a larger facility, you can use the 3-minute guide to figure out how many AEDs you may need and where to place them.
Mount your AED cabinet in accordance with ADA guidelines:
In order to stay in compliance with the ADA, your cabinet needs to be placed no more than 48 inches above the ground. This allows someone who is shorter or in a wheelchair to retrieve the AED if needed.
Place your AED in an easily accessible area
AEDs need to be able to be accessible to bystanders and employees at all times. Many people place their AEDs in the same easily accessible location as their first aid kit or fire extinguisher. The American Heart Association suggests placing the cabinet near areas such as:
Avoid keeping the AED in areas that are commonly out of sight for employees and/or patrons. Don’t put your AED in a storage closet, basement, or behind a locked door—this makes it difficult for rescuers to access it when needed.
Note how your surroundings may affect the AED
If your AED is in direct sunlight, it can affect it negatively. The constant heat from the sun can ruin the pads, battery, or the device itself, making it useless during an emergency situation. Avoid placing the AED in direct sunlight.
If your AED may inadvertently get exposed to water because it is near a pool or other water source, ensure it’s always stored in the cabinet to help protect the integrity of the device.
The longer a person goes without effective CPR and defibrillation, the less likely they are to survive. That is why it is so important for your AED to be accessible and for your personnel to be trained in CPR and how to use the AED.
Good for you! You’ve made the potentially life-saving decision to equip your office, home, school, or public spaces with highly-visible and strategically placed automatic external defibrillators (AEDs). Bonus points if you’ve invested in an AED compliance management program.
However, if you’re still on the fence about a preventative maintenance plan, read on!
A compliance management program includes check logging, expiration tracking, and helps ensure that your equipment is properly registered. The Cardio Partners Life Shield AED Compliance Management system even sends regular reminders for you to check your AED’s power and verify battery life.
Although AEDs are generally low-maintenance, a preventative maintenance plan helps prolong the lifespan of your life-saving AED or manual defibrillator and helps you avoid unexpected repair costs. AED and defibrillator maintenance plans make it easy for AED owners to make necessary repairs quickly and affordably. Plus, they may even help minimize potential liability issues.
Here’s the biggest reason of all to have your AED or manual defibrillator serviced: a well-maintained AED or defibrillator is always rescue-ready.
Is your AED or defibrillator beeping? Chirping? Blinking insistent red lights or otherwise behaving strangely?
If so, it’s probably trying to tell you something.
Most AEDs run daily self-tests to ensure that, in the event of an emergency, it’s ready to save lives. Here are a few common reasons why your device may need service:
Certified medical equipment repair technicians, like those on our team here at Cardio Partners, will thoroughly analyze your equipment and will run brand-specific diagnostics to ensure that your machine is operating effectively.
We offer a multi-point inspection for all makes and models of AEDs and manual defibrillators. Our team is qualified to service equipment produced by industry-leading AED manufacturers such as Zoll, Philips, Cardiac Science, and more.
Here’s what you can expect from our multi-point AED and manual defibrillator inspections:
To learn more about our AED and defibrillator service and preventative maintenance programs or our online compliance management program, LifeShield, contact Cardio Partners at 866-349-4362 or email us at customerservice@cardiopartners.com.
DISCLAIMER: The information included in this post and on our website is not intended as legal advice. As legislation changes often, this post may inadvertently contain inaccurate or incomplete information. We urge you to contact your state representative should you require more information about current AED, CPR, and Good Samaritan laws in your state.
DISCLAIMER: Information found on the aed.com blog is intended to educate, inform, and motivate readers to make their health and wellness decisions after consulting with their healthcare provider. The authors are not healthcare providers. NO information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition.