Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Awareness Month – Is your workplace prepared?

The United States loses more than 350,000 people each year to sudden cardiac arrest. This staggering number includes infants, children, teens, young adults, middle aged persons with no sign of heart disease, and mature adults. According to stopcardioarrest.org, SCA is caused by a structural or electrical problem that often stems from an undetected heart condition. It can also arise from an infection or a severe blow to the chest.

If a victim of a SCA is not treated immediately, he/she does not survive. Every minute that passes without a shock from an AED (automated external defibrillation) decreases the chances of survival by 10%. Statistics like this present a compelling argument that it’s necessary to prepare your worksite and employees for such an emergency. Training your staff to recognize the symptoms, perform CPR, and become certified to use an AED could save a life. Having an AED on site is critical. Many schools now stock AEDs and have trained their teachers on proper use of the equipment.

October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, so it’s a good time to review your policies, procedures, and budgeting for AED and CPR/AED training. You can find plenty of resources at:

http://www.stopcardiacarrest.org/

http://www.sca-aware.org/cpr-and-aed-training-resources

Have questions? Need assistance scheduling an onsite training? Feel free to contact me at tblocker@w3ins.com.