People often think that cardiac arrest is the same as a heart attack, but they are fundamentally different. A heart attack happens when blood flow to part of the heart is blocked, whereas a cardiac arrest is an electrical problem that causes the heart to stop beating properly. However, a heart attack can sometimes trigger a cardiac arrest. 

In the UK, there are approximately 43,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year, where NHS ambulance services attempt resuscitation. Survival rates remain around only 9.5%, highlighting the importance of immediate intervention. 

What Can Cause a Cardiac Arrest? 

Cardiac arrests are typically caused by underlying heart conditions such as coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, heart valve disease, a congenital heart defect or long QT syndrome.

However, it can also happen unexpectedly in people with no known medical history. People who smoke, have high blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes are at higher risk.

Where Do Most Cardiac Arrests Happen? 

Most cardiac arrests, which are around 80% of them, happen at home. However, cardiac arrests also occur regularly in public places such as workplaces, schools and universities, gyms, shopping centres, train stations and airports.

As they’re so sudden, they can happen anywhere and at any time. This is why access to defibrillators in public is so crucial.

If your workplace, gym, school, or community space does not currently have a defibrillator in place, now is the time to add one. Explore our range of defibrillators, designed to help provide a fast and reliable emergency response.

Where Should You Place Your Defibrillator?

Defibrillation within 3–5 minutes of collapse can produce survival rates up to 50–70%. Therefore, choosing the right location for your defibrillator is essential to ensure it can be accessed quickly in an emergency.

Here are 3 tips to help you decide where to place your defibrillator: 

1. Place It in a Highly Visible & High Footfall Area 

Always install your defibrillator somewhere people can easily see it during an emergency. These are often the places that have the highest footfall, too. This helps because in stressful situations, clear visibility can save valuable time and reduce panic. 

Place your defibrillator in a highly visible area that people visit often, such as a reception, break room, or entrance.

Think about the areas that people spend the most time in. For example, if you’re installing a defibrillator in a gym, place it in the main workout area or reception desk, to allow staff and members to retrieve it quickly if someone collapses during exercise. 

In workplaces, go for communal areas or staff break rooms as they can be reached quickly by multiple departments. 

Other popular locations overall include entrances, communal spaces, corridors, and near first aid points. 

Ensure your defibrillator is also positioned with clear signage above or beside it so people can quickly identify it from a distance.

2. Keep It Easily Accessible 

Accessibility is one of the most important factors in defibrillator placement. 

It’s best not to keep the device inside locked cupboards, private offices, or staff-only rooms that may be inaccessible during an emergency. Ideally, the defibrillator should be reachable within a couple of minutes from everywhere on the site, as each minute of delay reduces the probability of survival to hospital discharge by 10%.

If you’re in a larger building, warehouse, school, or multi-floor workplace, it may be necessary to install multiple defibrillators to ensure quick access across the entire site. 

Businesses should also consider who has access to the building during evenings or weekends and how to keep the defibrillator available during those times.

3. Don’t Forget About Outdoor Areas 

When deciding where to place your defibrillator, it’s important not to overlook outdoor spaces. Car parks, sports pitches, playgrounds, construction sites, and external communal areas are all spaces where cardiac arrests can happen. 

If your defibrillator is only accessible inside a building, this will cause dangerous delays, especially if the premises are closed.

Add a defibrillator outside to ensure it remains accessible 24/7 for staff, visitors, and the wider community during a cardiac emergency.