AED inspections

An automated external defibrillator only helps if it works, can be found and can be reached quickly. We inspect your AEDs, their pads, batteries and cabinets, check their placement and records, and give you a simple routine for keeping them ready between inspections.

AEDs are designed to be used by bystanders with little or no training, and most run regular self-tests. That makes them easy to forget. Pads and batteries expire, units get moved into locked offices, cabinets lose their signage, and self-test warnings go unnoticed. During a cardiac arrest, any of those problems costs time that the person does not have.

Readiness has two parts. The unit itself has to work, which means a good status indicator, pads and battery in date and a complete rescue kit. And it has to be reachable: someone has to be able to walk to it, open the cabinet and get back to the person who collapsed in a short time. A perfectly maintained AED in a locked office fails the second test.

What we look at

• Status indicator and self-test results, and any service alerts from the unit.
• Electrode pads: expiry dates, packaging, and whether adult and child pads or a pediatric setting are available where children may be present.
• Batteries: expiry or installation date and remaining life indicators.
• Accessories: rescue kit contents such as gloves, razor, scissors and a breathing barrier.
• Cabinets and mounting: condition, alarms, signage, height and whether the AED is visible and unlocked during occupied hours.
• Placement: how long it would take to get the AED to likely locations of a collapse, and whether more units are needed.
• Records and recalls: inspection logs, manufacturer notices, and whether the unit is registered with any local AED registry your province or community uses.

How it works

1. We start with why. A new AED program, a recall notice, an audit finding or simply not knowing when the units were last checked each lead to a different scope.
2. Inventory. We list every AED with its model, serial number, location and pad and battery dates.
3. Inspection. We check each unit and cabinet following the manufacturer's instructions.
4. Placement review. We walk the building to check access and response times to the areas people use most.
5. Report and routine. We give you a report, a replacement schedule and a short checklist for regular checks by your staff.

A monthly check your staff can do

1. Look at the status indicator. Record the date and whether it shows ready. If it shows a fault or is blank, take the unit out of service, follow the manufacturer's instructions and arrange a replacement unit.
2. Check the dates. Read the expiry dates on the pads and battery and record them. Order replacements well before they run out.
3. Open the cabinet. Confirm the AED, pads and rescue kit are all there and that the cabinet alarm, if fitted, works.
4. Check the route. Make sure the cabinet is unlocked during occupied hours, the signage is visible and nothing blocks access.
5. Sign the log. Initial the tag or log sheet so the next person, and any auditor, can see the check was done.

What you get

A written report listing each AED, its condition and any items that need replacing, with dates for upcoming pad and battery expiries. It includes placement recommendations, signage suggestions and a simple monthly check your staff can do in a few minutes. If you want, we can coordinate replacement parts and review the program with your first aid and safety teams.

When an AED has been used, it needs pads and possibly a battery replaced, and the unit's data may need to be downloaded for the responding medical service. The report sets out what to do after a use so the unit goes back into service quickly.

Common problems we find

• Expired pads still sealed in the case, with the replacement set never ordered.
• A unit chirping or showing a fault that staff have learned to ignore.
• AEDs moved from the cabinet into an office "for safekeeping" and locked away after hours.
• Cabinets with no signage, or signage pointing to a location the unit has been moved from.
• Units affected by a manufacturer's recall or advisory that nobody on site knew about.
• One AED serving a large building or site where the walk to the far end is long.

None of these are expensive to fix. They persist because AED checks often belong to nobody in particular, so the report also names who should own the routine.

Who it's for

• Facility, property and safety managers with AEDs in their buildings.
• Schools, recreation centres, offices, retail and industrial sites.
• Organizations setting up an AED program for the first time.
• Employers reviewing first aid arrangements as part of a safety program.

Read an AED maintenance checklist and where to place an AED for background. For broader emergency planning, see emergency response plans.

Common questions