AHA survey finds American workers lack training in CPR, first aid
Posted June 26, 2017
The American Heart Association (AHA) says most employees in the United States are unprepared for cardiac emergencies in the workplace. A new AHA survey shows that a majority of workers do not have access to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid training, and cannot locate an automated external defibrillator (AED) at their workplace.
The survey results prompted the AHA to launch a campaign promoting first aid, CPR, and AED training in the workplace and public access to AEDs.
According to the AHA, there are 10,000 cardiac arrests in the workplace every year. Employee preparedness for these events is crucial because survival chances can double or triple outside the hospital when CPR is performed immediately by a bystander.
The AHA surveyed more than 3,000 workers across several industries between February and April 2017. Approximately 2,000 employees worked in corporate offices, hospitality, education, and labor and industry. More than 1,000 safety managers in OSHA-regulated industries were also surveyed.
Key findings from the survey show that:
- 55 percent of employees cannot get first aid or CRP/AED training from their employer, and even if employers do provide this training, it’s usually one or the other.
- 50 percent of U.S. workers cannot locate the AED at work. For hospitality workers, this number rises to 66 percent.
- More than 90 percent of employees say they would participate in first aid and CPR/AED training if their employer offered it.
- 70 percent of employees believe training would make them feel better prepared for emergencies in the workplace.
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