Having an AED defibrillator available can save lives wherever it is located, but there are some places where it may be far more likely to be used than others. A building site is one of these.
In the first instance, such a site is usually a large place, with many people working there. There might be numerous site visitors as well as the workforce that present every day.
The sheer volume of people on site at any time may in itself be sufficient reason for having such a device, but the prime reason is the responsibility of employers to make each workplace as safe as possible.
What Health And Safety Responsibilities Do Construction Site Bosses Have?
In the case of construction sites, there are already many hazards, such as the risk of falls from height or moving machinery. However, in many countries, there are laws in place to uphold health and safety in all workplaces, as well as some construction-specific rules.
In the UK, these are largely embodied in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, with additions such as the Work at Height Regulations 2005 being particularly relevant to the construction sector.
In some jurisdictions, most of the legislation is more recent. For instance, Dubai saw new laws passed last year, providing greater protections for construction workers and more responsibilities for bosses.
Some of the safety measures are obvious, such as the provision of personal protective equipment, protection against falls from height and sufficient training for using (or working near) machinery.
Why Are Defibrillators Essential To Have On Construction Sites?
However, construction work also produces some points of risk where a cardiac arrest may be more likely than in other workplaces.
Particular instances when a defibrillator may need to be used at a construction site include:
- Cardiac arrest caused by electrocution
- Cardiac arrest caused by blunt trauma in the event of a fall from height
- Cardiac arrest caused by suspension trauma after a fall
The last of these occurs when the fall prevention mechanism works, but leaves a worker hanging at height, with the straps holding them up also serving to constrict circulation.
This leads to pooling of the blood in physical extremities, reducing oxygen supply and potentially leading to a cardiac arrest. This risk increases as long as the worker is left hanging as they await rescue.
Another important consideration is that construction, by definition, tends to happen in urban areas. Although that does mean hospitals tend to be relatively close by, it also means heavy traffic can make it hard for an ambulance to get to the site quickly.
Even if an ambulance does arrive very soon, it is still very unlikely to be able to do so faster than you can bring a defibrillator kept on the site to the location of the victim. As speed is vital in treating cardiac arrest victims, this can save lives and also prevent brain damage.
Construction sites are, by nature, hazardous places. That is why laws exist to try to protect workers and also members of the public nearby. Having a defibrillator is only one of many steps that can be taken to minimise the risk to workers, but it does have a major role to play.