Florida Municipal Wastewater, Water and Public Works Staff Take Safety and Cardiac Arrest Seriously

The CPR School conducted CPR, AED and First Aid training for the employees of a large Municipal Water and Wastewater Operations & Maintenance company located in Kissimmee - Osceola County Florida. During the class we discussed the many potential medical emergencies that could happen in the Public Water Utility industry. Some of the emergency medical safety topics discussed include heart attack, stroke, electrocution, drowning, choking, burns, bleeding, falls, and heat related medical emergencies. In addition to medical emergencies we also talked about bloodborne pathogens and how to protect ourselves from Hepatitis and HIV while helping an injured person.

Keith Murray, owner of The CPR School, LLC is also the lead instructor. Keith indicates that they try to customize their classes to fit the industry. For example, if they are teaching a class for utility operator they will spend more time talking about injuries from cuts, burns, falls as well as heat related emergencies versus when we offer training classes for an elementary school we would spend more time on pediatric emergencies such as choking, poisoning and allergic reactions.

According to OSHA 13% of all workplace fatalities result from sudden cardiac arrest. According to the American Heart Association, sudden cardiac arrest claims about 340,000 lives each year – or around 930 every day in the United States. Sudden cardiac arrest, which is the leading cause of death in the United States kills more people than breast cancer, lung cancer, and AIDS combined. Currently 95 percent of all cardiac arrest victims die.

1. What is sudden cardiac arrest and can it happen at a municipal wastewater, water and public works facility?

Sudden cardiac arrest is caused by a life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm that can result from heart attack, respiratory arrest, drowning, electrocution, choking, trauma or it can have no known cause and it can happen to anyone regardless of age or gender.

When we talk about electrocution this could be caused by lightning striking you or the equipment you are operating or it could be electrocution from a power line or motor. Any type of electricity entering your body could cause you to go into cardiac arrest.

In most instances to restart the heart you will need an AED or Automated External Defibrillator. Unlike the defibrillators with the paddles you see on TV, the AEDs that are in many public places such as airports, marinas, shopping malls, churches, health clubs, golf and tennis clubs and schools are safe to use. These AEDs are designed to only shock dead people. By this I mean that these public access defibrillators or AED´s will not shock a living breathing person. They are designed to only shock people that are no longer breathing. This means that you can´t connect someone up to this AED and shock them unless they are no longer breathing and in 2 unique types of heart rhythms.

2. What is an Automated External Defibrillator or AED?

An Automated External Defibrillator or AED is a portable, battery operated electronic device about the size of a laptop computer. The AED automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a victim and is able to treat the patient by an electrical shock which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm. AEDs are designed to be simple so that anyone can use one. So simple that I often start my CPR AED classes by selecting someone from the class that has never seen an AED and I ask them to demonstrate how to use an AED by following the AEDs voice instructions. To date, the youngest person to effectively demonstrate the AED in one of my classes was 9 years old.

3. Should we have an AED at our Public Water Utility site?

My answer is always "Yes". According to the American Heart Association, sudden cardiac arrest claims about 340,000 lives each year – or around 1,000 every day in the United States.

Simply put, Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) save lives. Would you spend $2,000 if it saved an employees life? The answer is obviously yes. You have smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, security cameras and other systems to save property why not put something in place that saves lives.

Think about this, how many fire extinguishers does the utility own? A fire extinguisher is designed to save property whereas an AED saves lives. All agree that life safety is much more important than saving property.

4. What does OSHA indicate about AEDs?

"Because the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) can save the lives of workers who experience cardiac arrest while on the job, OSHA today encouraged employers to consider making this equipment available in their workplace."

US Department of Labor, Office of Public Affairs, Dec. 17, 2001

5. What about Federal Laws regarding the use of AEDs?

The Cardiac Arrest Survival Act (CASA) of 2000 is our nation's first legislation recognizing the lifesaving role played by automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The law highlights the need to make AEDs accessible to anyone who has had proper training, not just professional medical personnel. The law protects trained AED users from liability, and also protects any person who has maintained the device, provided training, tested the device or acquired it. The law also augments existing state "Good Samaritan" laws by ensuring federal liability protection for trained users and purchasers of AEDs.

6. What type of training is required to use an AED?

AEDs are designed to be very simple to use. However, this is a race against time. For every minute we delay shocking our victim their chance of survival drops 10%. Training increases speed, confidence and efficiency. I suggest working with a professional trainer that has real life experience using CPR and AEDs on real people. An instructor that can work with your staff to answer any and all questions. Someone that can create realistic training scenarios to use during class and most importantly someone that can make your staff comfortable using their new skills. You don´t want an instructor that scares or confuses them. Look for a full time, insured professional that knows AEDs, CPR and First Aid.

7. What are the odds of my company using an AED?

In August of 2003, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) conducted a survey. Of the 400 members surveyed 34% that implemented an AED program used the AED at least once to help save a life. Of those people in cardiac arrest, 66% were revived by the AED.

The CPR School offers members of the Florida Water and Pollution Control Operators Association and the Florida Rural Water Association 10% discount off all CPR AED and First Aid training certification classes and a 5% discount on all AEDs - automated external defibrillators.

Keith Murray is the owner of The CPR School, a mobile training company that provides CPR, AED First Aid Safety Training Certification Classes for businesses and schools throughout Florida. The CPR School also sells, services and provides consulting for AEDs - automated external defibrillators. Contact The CPR School at 561-762-0500 or Keith@TheCPRschool.com.