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In a recent survey conducted by leading workplace products and services supplier, Direct365, it has been found that a substantial number of UK businesses are not even considering the purchase of an onsite Automated External Defibrillator (AED), let alone have one on-site. A staggering 52% of businesses have never considered buying or bought a life-saving defibrillator.

You’re buying an AED, that’s great, fantastic, another community is protected. However, how do you decide which AED to buy? There are so many considerations, and as I am sure you’re aware, they pretty much all do the same thing. So, is price the only area you’re stuck on? There are far more things you should consider before purchasing an AED!

Every year in the UK over 600 people under the age of 35 dies from Sudden Cardiac Arrest, 270 of these will occur in educational establishments. Many of these deaths could be prevented with access to a defibrillator, along with effective CPR, both of which are incredibly accessible for universities, it’s students and its staff.

As society knowledge and understanding of Sudden Cardiac Arrest and defibrillators are at an ever-high, along with technological advancements, the defibrillator market is bigger and better than ever before.

So, when it comes to purchasing your defibrillator; which one do you go for? There are a few factors that everybody should consider prior to purchasing one; price, IP Rating, semi Vs. fully automatic, battery life, the environment it’s going to be used within and whether the defibrillator needs to have CPR coaching.

Following on the great success we had at the Safety & Health Expo last year, we will be returning to the expo later this month.

The Martek Lifecare team will be at the event across all three days, with live demonstrations and offers on our wide range of defibrillators & accessories. We also have lots of exciting education material for those who visit our stand!

Whatever your opinion of them, you can’t deny that drones are here to stay. Their price is dropping while their endurance, range and payload capacity are all increasing rapidly. In the UK alone, it’s estimated that there are likely to be 76,000 flying by 2030 which will add £42 billion to the country’s GDP as new types of jobs develop in building, developing, operating and regulating UAVs. Read more here.

Businesses have been quick to embrace the commercial potential of this new technology and drones are already being used in a wide variety of sectors.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the world’s biggest killer. Every year, it claims the lives of three million people worldwide and 140,000 in the UK alone, more than breast, prostate and lung cancer combined. Obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, high blood pressure and a cholesterol heavy diet can all be contributing factors, but a healthy lifestyle doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re free from risk.

The snow outside may be pretty but we all know the kind of havoc that can be caused by a drop in temperature and severe wintery conditions. It’s not just transport and your heating bills that are likely to be affected, it could be your defibrillator too.