Red Cross Employees Have Reason to Feel Safe at Work

Written by Becky Orfinger, Staff Writer, RedCross.org

(Updated)April 2, 2002 —Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which claims the lives of 220,000 people each year, can strike anywhere and anytime, without warning. But experts know that early access to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and an automated external defibrillator (AED) can save more than 50,000 of these lives. Because so many of us spend the majority of our day in the workplace, the American Red Cross advocates training workers all over the country in CPR and AED use. Last summer, the organization began training its own employees in the skills needed to save a fallen co-worker and installed AEDs at strategic locations throughout its national headquarters.

Each training class at national headquarters had between 75 and 100 students.

"Saving lives starts right here within our own organization, so it is critical that every Red Cross employee at national headquarters has the skills he or she needs to respond to an emergency situation," said Inga Jelescheff, a Red Cross health and safety expert. The American Red Cross held several training sessions at one of the headquarters buildings in Falls Church, Va. and now over 1000 employees are certified in CPR and AED use.

Jelescheff said the main impetus behind the launch of a Red Cross workplace training program is the fact that "a huge number of lives" can potentially be saved if employees are trained in CPR and AED use. CPR can widen the survival window for an SCA victim, but a normal heart rhythm can be restored only by defibrillation.

In contrast to a heart attack, in which blood flow to the heart is temporarily stopped, SCA is generally caused by an electrical malfunction in the heart that prevents it from pumping blood effectively. AEDs reverse this electrical short by "shocking" (or defibrillating) the heart back to its natural rhythm. AEDs are simple to use — most have voice prompts to alert the user when and if a shock should be delivered to the victim — and have built-in safety features that make it nearly impossible to use the device incorrectly.

Rocky Lopes, a Red Cross community disaster education associate, goes over the steps involved in CPR with these three employees.

The opportunity for training has been really well-received by the Red Cross employees at national headquarters," said Jelescheff. "When we initially sent out the e-mail alerting staffers that we were trying to train every single employee, it took less than 24 hours to fill the first CPR/AED training class." In some cases, she said, departments within the organization are using the mandatory day of training as a team-building exercise. All employees who successfully complete the class will be certified for one year in CPR, first aid and AED use. All seven Red Cross national headquarters buildings in the Washington metro area have at least one AED to be used in case of an emergency. "About a year ago, we decided that it was only right to practice what we preach — so we installed AEDs throughout national headquarters," said Connie Harvey, Red Cross health and safety expert. "Getting every employee trained to use these life-saving devices is really the next logical step." Red Cross security guards are also all trained in lifesaving CPR and know how to use AEDs.

The Red Cross is also planning to make AEDs available for disaster relief operations throughout the country, which will require that all disaster workers and volunteers in the Red Cross system learn how to use the devices. To help the organization defray some of the cost of installing AEDs (most AEDs cost between $3,000 and $4,000), the Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Company has generously donated the funds to purchase 30 AEDs, according to Judy Lee, a spokesperson for Red Cross disaster services.

Two Red Cross instructors discuss how the training session is going.

Woodmen President and CEO James L. Mounce presented the AEDs to the American Red Cross at the Woodmen of the World National Convention on July 30, 2001. The fraternal organization has had a unique partnership with the American Red Cross for more than three years and currently has 1,436 Red Cross-certified disaster relief volunteers on 146 Woodmen Disaster Action Teams throughout the country. Scott Darling, a spokesperson for Woodmen, said his organization donated the AEDs because of their lifesaving potential during disasters.

"The Red Cross is a premier provider of workplace safety training, so it is especially important to put our expertise into action in our own workplace," said Harvey. "Sudden cardiac arrest can strike at any time, including during working hours. Our employees can feel confident that their co-workers are trained and able to respond to any emergency situation that might occur."