A further 55% of people reported they were not sure where the nearest public defibrillator to their workplace was, while 54% claimed that they were not confident in knowing how to respond to a cardiac arrest.
Employers are not legally required to provide a defibrillator, Louise Scawthorne, managing director at Direct365, told HR magazine.
However, Kerry Smith, chief people officer at research charity the British Heart Foundation, has urged employers to provide a defibrillator within the workplace.
Speaking to HR magazine, Smith said: “We urge all employers to have a defibrillator on site, as a cardiac arrest can strike anyone at any time. Make sure it is in a publicly accessible and in an unlocked place, if possible.
“By registering this defibrillator on The Circuit, a database that maps all defibrillators across the UK, emergency services can direct a bystander to it in the event of a cardiac arrest nearby.”
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Employers should make sure employees are trained in how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), Scawthorne added.
She commented: “All staff should be provided with training in the use of an AED, with formal written policies and procedures regarding the use of AEDs. All staff members should know the steps to take in the event of a cardiac arrest.”
Training employees in CPR could also be beneficial to preventing death from cardiac arrest, Smith added.
She continued: “As well as registering a defibrillator, employers should encourage staff to learn CPR. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by up to 10%.
“At the BHF, we put these essential life-saving skills at the centre of what we do. All our colleagues are trained on CPR skills as part of their induction, and we offer many refresher opportunities.”
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Fewer than one in 12 patients (7.8%) survive to 30 days after experiencing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, according to January 2024 figures from the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes Registry.
Smith pointed to resources for employers to train employees. “To ensure it is as easy as possible to learn this lifesaving skill, we have developed RevivR, a free online CPR training tool.
"In just 15 minutes, employees can learn how to give CPR – ensuring everyone in the workplace is prepared in case of the ultimate medical emergency."
Direct365 surveyed 2,000 UK workers.
