Placement and access: reduce delay before a cardiac-arrest response

NSW Health’s organisation checklist starts with a location specific to the organisation that is accessible and visible to users and visitors. It also asks organisations to communicate placement, use internationally recognised green AED signage, appoint a responsible person, include the AED in operations and make sure staff know the physical address and cross street.

ANZCOR says a device should be as close as possible to its likely place of use. Many established Australian public-access AED locations have used no more than a two-minute brisk walk as a practical guide; this is not a universal legal threshold or a substitute for analysing the site. Large venues, levels, access-hours, gates, security controls, sports grounds and after-hours areas may point to different arrangements.

Do not make a cabinet’s physical presence the end of the plan. Test whether a person can identify cardiac arrest, call Triple Zero (000), start CPR, direct another person to retrieve the device, open its cabinet without delay and guide ambulance crews to the exact location.

Why the register asks these questions

Four AED readiness scenarios

Research depth: an AED is a public-access system

Make access information usable under pressure

Record the precise route, cabinet, opening hours and access restrictions in plain language. NSW Health specifically recommends that staff know the physical street address and cross street for the Triple Zero operator. For a large campus, write the location that an unfamiliar ambulance crew can act on, not an internal nickname alone.

Design for the willing rescuer

ANZCOR recommends public-access AED programs and says use should not be restricted to trained people. Training remains valuable, but a plan that waits for one named qualified person can create delay. Communication, signage and a rehearsed allocation of call/CPR/retrieval roles are part of readiness.

Maintenance is a continuity system

The actual device manual governs its indicator and service arrangements. ANZCOR notes that pads, batteries and other consumables need replacement in line with expiry dates, and that warning signs or alerts must lead to action. A named checker without leave cover is a single point of failure; record a deputy and escalation route.

For researchers: retain the printout with maintenance logs, training/induction evidence, drill notes and post-event debrief material under the organisation’s recordkeeping policy. Note the exact device model and manual checked. This page intentionally does not recommend a brand, prescribe a universal check interval or claim a legal requirement to own an AED.

How to use the register in a real workplace

Walk the route, do not only inspect the cabinet

Start from the places where a collapse is plausible: a workshop, field, car park, reception area, gym floor or meeting space. Ask a person who is unfamiliar with the AED to find it from there. Note every delay: a confusing door, a gate, a crowded counter, an unlit hallway, a lift, a code held by one person or a device stored outside normal access hours. The objective is not to create a theoretical floor-plan distance; it is to identify whether the response works while another person starts CPR.

Record status as evidence, not as a reassurance

“AED present” is not a readiness status. Write what the device’s own indicator shows, the expiry information printed on its consumables and the identity of the person who checked it. If the device has a warning or the status is unknown, make the next action explicit: check the manual, contact the supplier or manufacturer where appropriate, arrange replacement consumables and communicate any temporary change in availability. Avoid guessing a battery or pad interval from a different model.

Build redundancy into the people system

The NSW Health checklist calls for a responsible person; ANZCOR also highlights that checks must not be neglected during holidays or sick leave. Record a role and deputy rather than relying on one name. Make AED location part of induction, volunteer briefing and event preparation where relevant. Training is encouraged, but ANZCOR’s public-access approach means the site should not imply that an untrained willing rescuer must wait for a designated responder before opening or following the device prompts.

Use a drill as a research method

A short tabletop or observed practice can reveal whether people know the street address, nearest cross street, retrieval route, who calls 000, who begins CPR and whether the device cabinet opens promptly. Record only what the exercise genuinely shows and turn findings into due-dated actions. After a real cardiac-arrest event, include debrief and consumable replacement in the register; do not treat the device as ready again until the manufacturer instructions and local emergency arrangements have been followed.

AED workplace checklist FAQs

Can an AED be used by someone without formal training?

ANZCOR says AED use should not be restricted to trained personnel. A willing person can follow the device prompts, while CPR/AED training is encouraged because it can improve performance. In a suspected cardiac arrest, call Triple Zero (000), begin CPR and use an AED as soon as one is available.

Where should a workplace AED be placed?

NSW Health says to nominate an accessible location that is visible to users and visitors. ANZCOR says the location should be promoted, access should not be delayed, and the device should be as close as possible to likely use; a two-minute brisk walk is a practical guide used in many established Australian public-access AED locations, not a universal rule.

Should an AED be kept in a locked cabinet?

ANZCOR warns that locked cabinets can delay access. If a security measure is used, the organisation should have a reliable process that minimises delay when the AED is needed.

How often should an AED be checked?

Follow the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions. ANZCOR says owners should have a process for regular and frequent checks, ideally daily, and arrangements so checks are not missed during leave. This page records the chosen local schedule; it does not prescribe a maintenance interval for every model.

What should an AED readiness check include?

NSW Health’s checklist covers an accessible visible location, inserted battery and pads, communication, training, signage, maintenance and a responsible person. ANZCOR adds device warning indicators, consumable expiry, access barriers and response planning.

Does an AED replace CPR or calling an ambulance?

No. ANZCOR and NSW Health position AED use within the cardiac-arrest response: call Triple Zero (000), start CPR and use the AED as soon as possible if available. Follow the AED voice and visual prompts.

Should a workplace register an AED?

ANZCOR notes that many state ambulance services maintain AED registries and encourages registration where available, so location and access details can potentially be linked to a rescuer during an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Check the current local ambulance-service process.

Can this register prove that an AED program is compliant?

No. It is an educational readiness record, not a compliance verdict. Device-specific instructions, the site’s risks, local law, hours of access and emergency procedure all require a real-world check.