Whether you own a leisure centre or operate a hotel that has its own swimming pool, one piece of emergency equipment you should invest in for your poolside is an automatic external defibrillator (AED).

Around the world, hundreds of thousands of people suffer from cardiac arrest outside of hospitals every year. In the UK alone, it’s estimated more than 30,000 people experience a heart attack in a non-medical environment every year. 

Sadly, the survival rates for out of hospital cardiac arrests aren’t good, no matter where you are in the world. 

But there is equipment and training that can help increase the chances of a patient not only surviving, but also making a full recovery. One such piece of equipment is an AED.

One study found that survival among heart attack victims who received CPR from a bystander but no AED shock was just nine per cent. However, in situations where an AED was used promptly, that survival rate increased to 38 per cent when an AED shock was delivered.

That is a significant increase, which is why AEDs have risen in popularity around the world and are seen in an increasing range of public spaces. 

For swimming pools in particular, prompt medical care is essential when someone suffers from any incident.

As an example, one man in the UK survived a cardiac arrest while swimming underwater thanks to the prompt actions of the lifeguards and the use of an AED.

Ben Phillips, who was 48 years old at the time of the incident, was pulled from the water by pool staff who then administered CPR and used a defibrillator.

This meant that by the time he arrived at hospital, he was conscious and alert. Chris Mowatt, the clinical director for critical care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital where Ben was treated, said that had an AED not been available, the outcome would have been very different.

What AEDs are suitable for swimming pools?

However, choosing the right AED for this kind of environment means considering the humidity of the pool area and also the likelihood of an AED defibrillator being splashed or coming into contact with water. 

It is therefore important to look at the protection rating of any AED you are considering purchasing for your pool area. 

You want one with a high protection level (ideally IP55 or higher) and one that states it is splash proof and can deal with high-humidity environments. 

You also need to consider how you will protect your AED when it is not in use. This might mean investing in a dedicated AED cabinet that can only be opened in an emergency and that will keep the device safe and dry when it isn’t needed. 

Of course, you also need to invest in training for all poolside staff, as well as others who work at your organisation, so that should they be faced with an incident like the one Ben experienced they know how to respond appropriately. 

However, the good news is that AED training is straightforward, as these devices are designed to be used safely, even by those who have not undergone specialist training.