How do I know if I need a defibrillator?

Having a defibrillator on your premises is a relatively small investment that could one day save someone’s life.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommend that certain businesses have defibrillators, whilst others should perform a needs assessment to identify if they should have one. This assessment includes: 

• consideration of how many people may be in, near, or passing through your workplace (as the likelihood of cardiac arrest increases with more people) 
• the age of those people (as age is a risk factor for heart disease) 
• the nature of the location (as remoteness may affect emergency service response times and the availability of alternatives)

Some businesses choose to have defibrillators on their premises regardless of a needs assessment, because they want to demonstrate their commitment to keeping their colleagues, customers and local community safe. As well as the BHF, the Resuscitation Council UK also recommend that they are available.