Free AED Maintenance – Here are the steps…
AEDs are becoming more common in corporate buildings, schools, retail locations and even homes. We get questions all the time if we offer Free AED Maintenance. Of course the answer is yes, because you do this yourself. There are no tricks to it. Besides, as I will describe below, it is almost always better for you to maintain your AEDs yourself.
Along with the the AED and CPR training and certification, it is incredibly important to maintain your AED to make sure the AED is in operating order. Fortunately this is super easy. All you do is perform a monthly inspection.
Monthly AED inspections shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes, are easy and may be required to keep your AED program in compliance with state or local regulations. Of course make sure you check your local and state requirements regarding your AED program. They do vary in different locations. Call us if you have questions as well.
Here is a free AED maintenance checklist – Document these steps to perform your AED maintenance:
- Confirm the readiness light or indicator shows the AED is ready for use. AED actually check themselves. DO NOT turn off and on your AED every month, that will only sap your battery unnecessarily.
- Confirm the defibrillation pads are not expired and in usable condition. Tears in the foil in some pads cartridges will ruin some AED pads, again, be familiar with your AED
- Confirm the AED isn’t obviously damaged and is clean
- Look to see that the AED cabinet or bracket is in good condition and that there is visible signage
- Confirm your AED fast response kit contains a CPR mask, gloves, razor, trauma shears and an absorbent wipe.
- Confirm the AED is kept in an unlocked, uncluttered and accessible location
Free AED Maintenance is better than paid AED maintenance – here’s why:
- The person you pay often won’t take the 2 minutes to actually check your AED. I find expired pads, dead batteries all the time in AEDs that have signed check tags on them from a paid “AED inspector”. Do this yourself. It is free and easy
- You will be more familiar with your AED the more contact you have with it and the cabinet. In the case of an emergency – you will really know your way around that machine. Under stress, this makes worlds of difference
- You will be on top of getting supplies replaced right away, and aware of when those pads and batteries need to be replaced. Sometimes accessories are back ordered. Don’t wait till that battery is dead to have your next one on deck!
Here is why keeping up with accessories is really important.
AED Pads have expiration dates because the adhesive used in the pads can degrade over time. The adhesive is critical to making a powerful connection between machine and patient. Don’t abide expired pads.
AED batteries expire and need to be replaced every 4 years. Defibrillators some energy from their batteries for readiness checks either once per week, or even daily, if you have a high quality AED. It is critical to keep the battery installed in the AED so the machine is in standby mode and is ready to deliver the quickest shock possible. If the battery is kept out of the AED, critical seconds can pass without a shock, lowering survival rates.
Some AEDs have different expiration dates pad and battery configurations so it is important to be familiar with yours. Regardless of which AED you have, those pads and batteries require replacement at some point. Monthly AED Inspections will ensure your pads and batteries are never beyond their expiration point.
Free AED maintenance is really easy, fast and free. Make sure AED inspections are a quick part of your safety protocol!