The importance of understanding and complying with AED laws
Maintenance of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) and proper use are key to an effective emergency plan. A recent complaint filed in New York illustrates why health club owners must weigh the pros and cons of housing AEDS.*
The lawsuit was brought by a widow of a club member who died of cardiac arrest during a workout. Apparently, employees attempted to use both of the AEDs on the premises, only to discover a dead battery in one and none in the other, resulting in an unsuccessful revival attempt.
A laundry list of defendants and claims
Defendants in the case include the health club owner, Zee Medical, the seller of one AED, Hewlett Packard, Agilent Technologies, Philips Healthcare, and manufacturers and distributors o
f the second AED. The allegations include:
- Failure to house functioning AEDs, as legally required in New York
- Failure to properly maintain and test the AEDs
- Failure to have in place proper equipment maintenance and testing procedures
- Failure to properly train staff members in the use, maintenance, and testing of AEDs.
Allegations in the suit state that Zee sold the AED to the health club without a a battery and failed to provide a representative to install a battery and prepare the AED for proper use. The complaint also alleges causes of action for product liability and breach of warranty.
Risk management is the key
It will be quite a while before this case goes to trial, and who’s to say a working AED would have saved this person’s life? The point is, failure of this type is easy to prevent, and a good AED representative can assist you in reducing risks by providing proper training on AED compliance.
