When Minutes Matter
Training is key to managing a cardiac event at work
For too many employees, mandatory CPR/AED training is seen as an inconvenience that disrupts a busy workday for an emergency that may never occur.
It’s easy to adopt the “it-can’t-happen-here” mentality, but consider the numbers.
Nearly 10,000 people—more than 15 percent of workplace fatalities—suffer cardiac arrest on the job annually. It’s most often seen in industries where workers may be exposed to electrocution, lightning strikes, low oxygen environments or even overexertion.
OSHA estimates that having an automated external defibrillator (AED) available and an average time to defibrillation of three to four minutes can lead to a 60 percent increase in survival rates.
For every minute that a non-responsive coworker doesn’t receive effective defibrillation, chances of survival decrease by 10 percent.
Training is key to managing a cardiac event at work, where survival often lies in the hands of colleagues who can immediately start CPR and operate an AED.
Physicians Quality Care OCCMed can help you set up a safety program at your workplace so employees immediately know what to do if a coworker has a cardiac event. They’ll also learn how to do CPR and use an AED until medical personnel arrive.
Get started by contacting OCCMed Director Jennifer Carmack at jennifer@occmedjackson.com or 731-784-8400.
Source: ohsonline.com
