The Key Role of AEDs in Roofing and Construction Industries

Construction or roofing industries have pressing needs for equipping their sites with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) due to their business nature and typically massive operation scales. 

Because industrial and construction sites can cover huge areas, any first aid equipment provided should be highly portable and marked for access in the case of an emergency.

The Difference AEDs Can Make in the Roofing and Construction Industry

Construction and roofing worksites are not always accessible, which might lengthen the time it takes for emergency medical staff to get on the scene, lowering the victim's chances of survival.

The average response time for emergency medical services is seven minutes. This may be too late for a victim of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) because every minute without treatment reduces the victim's chances of survival by 10%.

While on a construction site, you should never be more than a three-minute round trip away from an AED to guarantee that appropriate treatment can be administered quickly if a cardiac arrest occurs anywhere on the site. This may imply that large worksites require numerous AEDs to guarantee that, regardless of where an event occurs, an AED can be utilised and administer life-saving intervention to a worker experiencing S

The greatest strategy to protect workers from a deadly SCA is to expand CPR awareness and the availability of AEDs.

Why Roofing Contractors and Construction Sites are At Higher Risk for Cardiac Arrest

Construction sites have one of the highest heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest rates among all industry sectors. As a result, to safeguard their personnel from accidents and death, all construction sites should provide first aid, medical support and AEDs.

SCA is most commonly caused by coronary artery disease and the general construction sector is at risk for the following reasons:

  • Working long hours in a demanding work setting. Construction workers may be exposed to diverse weather conditions for lengthy periods, depending on their location and area of expertise. Roofers and ironworkers, for example, may be exposed to excessively high or low temperatures for numerous hours. Exposure to such extremes raises the risk of cardiovascular disorders such as a heart attack or stroke. Long durations of continuous physical exertion can also create weariness, which leads to stress, which weakens the heart muscle over time, increasing the likelihood of an SCA episode.
  • Workplace accidents. Slips, trips and falls; overexertion (too much physical effort); contact with materials and equipment; exposure to hazardous chemicals and conditions; fires and explosions; electric currents; and severe heat or cold are among the most prevalent dangers in construction. Construction employees frequently operate in hazardous conditions such as those described above. Such issues need the employment of a wide range of power tools. These are risky because of the possible dangers associated with the use of various types of saws, compressors and grinders.
  • Higher risk of electrocution. Electrocution is another common cause of abrupt cardiac arrest. The roofing business is particularly vulnerable since crews and people are prone to coming into touch with electrical cables when working on top of houses and structures.

Conclusion

Site managers and contractors need to prepare every construction site to enhance the likelihood of a member of staff surviving an SCA. This begins with installing on-site defibrillators, followed by raising knowledge of where the defibrillators are, basic manuals describing how anybody can use them, and, ideally, training as many people as possible in their usage and CPR.

When someone falls, every second counts. It is not necessary to be trained to make a difference and save someone's life. One day, that individual may be you and your life could depend on someone else providing life-saving first aid.

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