CPR/AED and First Aid Training in a Down Economy is More Important than Ever Before
-By Micah Bongberg Google+ | @annuvia
SAN FRANSISCO, CA – With cost overruns, delayed sales close dates, reduced sales packages, and general market instability, business managers are forced, like never before, to plan for the unexpected. The most fragile of organizations are particularly vulnerable to unforeseen and unexpected costs; some which could significantly delay or hamper normal business operations. With Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) killing 1000 people every day in the US – more than breast cancer, gun shot wounds, car accidents, and HIV/AIDS COMBINED – it is certain that many of these deaths occur daily in the workplace. Significant injury and illness in the workplace affects all aspects of an organization and strikes even the largest firms which are typically perceived to be resilient to one-person injuries due to their size and the misconception that such organizations are compartmentalized with employees forming personal relationships only with those in their department and sitting adjacent to them.
When a co-worker collapses, an ambulance pulls up to an organization, and when paramedics begin taking life-saving measures next to computers, telephones, and cubical walls which heretofore were simply part of a normal day at the office, employees of an organization, whether they recognize the victim or not, immediately cease work and fall into shock. Such a state is long-lasting and powerful. While a range of emotions is common, the outcome of the incident is directly correlated to the time and severity of the recovery process. Most organizations understand that while it is important to address an incident by being sensitive to their employees and allowing them adequate time during the grieving process, it is also important to transition the firm to normal business operations as quickly as possible – especially when precious resources are scarce and employees are nervous about their employment, as during poor economic conditions.
“While we all wish to be the anomaly of Sudden Cardiac Arrest’s reach and avoid it entirely, it is virtually impossible to do so given its effect on victims of all ages, rages, and sexes. SCA strikes everyone and everywhere. We can draw generalizations such as the average age of a victim (60 years old) or the location in which an incident occurred, but the truth of the matter is that 7,000-10,000 school children die each year due to SCA – completely refuting the mean!” states Micah Bongberg, President of Annuvia, a national CPR/AED and First Aid training organization.
Defibrillation within 3-5 minutes can result in greater than a 70% chance of survival, however, across the country today’s average save rates are less than 5%. Studies indicate the important role the public plays in mitigating the severity of cardiac arrest by providing early and proper CPR and early defibrillation.
“Increasingly, employees of organizations across the country are looking at the statistics and beginning to ask their employers ‘why aren’t we installing AED units and increasing the chance of survival at our office from 5% to over 70%?'” states Bongberg. “The business case for deployment becomes much more compelling when decision-makers analyze costs associated with decreased productivity, absent employees, presenteeism (when employees are in the office but unfocussed), and similar costs which commonly aren’t analyzed.”
Many Automated External Defibrillator (AED Defibrillator) units have manufacturer’s suggested retail prices for around $1,500. Annuvia is able to provide national training services such as CPR/AED and First Aid training for very affordable prices. All courses are taught by full-time healthcare providers with years of emergency medical experience. In a tough economy, organizations are forced to look at their bottom lines like never before. One way to save financial resources is to analyze the investment of only a few thousand dollars for effective, safe, and efficient AED programs versus the potential financial impact of lost productivity, higher absenteeism, and decreased moral after a death at the workplace. Such economic analysis doesn’t include the most important comparative measure of all, the “cost” associated with lost life. Automated External Defibrillator (AED) units are simply the right thing for employer’s to provide, in good times and bad.
