OSHA does not have standards specific to automated external defibrillators (AEDs), but health experts say workplaces are ideal settings for AEDs. Compared to other public environments, workplaces have a culture that includes an emphasis on human resources, risk management, safety, emergency response, and training.
About 2.4 million AEDs are available in public places, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Despite the fact that using an AED increases a victim’s sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survival rate by 60 percent, numerous workplaces are hesitant to set up AED programs due to concern over liability, confusion caused by variances in local and state Good Samaritan laws, and a lack of coordination with medical oversight personnel and emergency medical services.