Prevention--When Seconds Count

More than 200,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest every year. If one of your employees had a heart attack while at work, would someone there know what to do? When blood flow or breathing stops, seconds count--permanent brain damage or death can happen quickly. Knowing how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) could save a life.

When a person’s heart has stopped or he/she is no longer breathing, CPR can maintain circulation and breathing until emergency medical help arrives. Even those who haven’t had training can do "hands-only" CPR for a person whose heart has stopped beating. "Hands-only" CPR uses chest compressions to keep blood circulating until emergency help arrives. If you’ve had training, you can use chest compressions and rescue breathing. Rescue breathing helps get oxygen to the lungs for a person who has stopped breathing. 

Many organizations offer CPR training, including the American Red Cross. All employers should consider having at least one employee certified in CPR. (In fact, you might already have a certified employee on staff.) Depending on the size of your company and number of shifts, you might need more. Generally, certification takes only a few hours. To keep your skills up, you should repeat the training every two years. Post a list of CPR and first-aid certified employees at key locations in your building to ensure easy access during emergency.
 

An automated external defibrillator (AED) provides another tool to help certain heart attack victims survive until emergency help arrives. Experts estimate that 50,000 heart attack victims could be saved every year if rescuers had access to an AED. The most beneficial AED program is one that not only can provide an AED, but also integrates this life-saving equipment into a comprehensive program that includes clinical expertise and quality assurance to assure the highest level of responder preparedness.

For more information on first aid and other safety programs, please call the Programs Department at EPIC, Edgewood Partners Insurance Center, at (800) 234-6363, or visit epicbrokers.com.