Cardiac arrest does not wait for a convenient moment, and it does not spare any workplace. By the end of this guide, you will have a written, practiced plan for workplace cardiac arrest preparedness: one that helps your team recognize cardiac arrest, call for help, start CPR, and use an AED in the first minutes. Before you begin, gather a floor plan of your facility, a rough headcount by shift, and the name of someone with authority to approve training and equipment spending.
Two terms to keep straight. Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops pumping effectively; the person collapses, is unresponsive, and is not breathing normally. A heart attack is a blocked blood supply to the heart, and the person is usually conscious. A heart attack can trigger cardiac arrest, but they call for different responses.
Step 1: Assess Your Workplace Risk and Response Gaps
Start with a physical walk-through. Visit each floor, each shift, and each off-site location, and record the headcount, the number of visitors or customers typically present, and how long it takes to walk from the entrance to the farthest point. A 40,000 square foot warehouse and a three-story office with one elevator present very different problems, even with the same number of employees.
Next, find out how long emergency medical services (EMS) typically take to reach each site. Multi-story buildings add vertical travel time, large warehouses add distance from the dock to the patient, and rural Midwest locations may have response times well beyond what an urban site sees. Do not guess. Call your local dispatch center or EMS agency and ask what response times look like for your address.
Then check which outside requirements apply to you. Some states have rules on AEDs in certain facilities, some insurers ask about emergency preparedness, and some industries carry their own regulations. These vary, so verify them with your state health department or your legal counsel. As a general note, OSHA recommends that employers consider AEDs as part of first aid planning but does not generally require them; confirm current language on OSHA's website.
Record what you find in a simple gap list:
- Areas where a responder would need more than a couple of minutes to reach a patient
- Shifts or locations with no one trained in CPR
- Estimated EMS arrival time for each site
- Any legal, insurer, or industry requirements to confirm
Common mistake: planning only for the day shift. Nights, weekends, and remote or field crews often have fewer people, less supervision, and longer waits for help. Include them from the start.
Step 2: Choose and Place Your AEDs
An automated external defibrillator (AED) analyzes the heart rhythm and advises a shock only when one is appropriate. It will not shock someone who does not need it, which is why untrained bystanders can use one safely by following its voice prompts.
To decide how many you need, use a travel-time test. Time a person walking briskly from the farthest work area to the proposed AED spot and back. American Heart Association guidance aims for shock delivery within about 3 to 5 minutes of collapse, so the round trip should fit well inside that window (verify the current wording on the AHA site). If it does not, you need another unit or a different location. Stairs, elevators, and locked doors all count against the clock.
Placement
Mount units in visible, unlocked, clearly signed locations along main routes, such as near entrances, cafeterias, and central corridors. Avoid locked offices and reception desks that close at 5 p.m. If a cabinet has an alarm, make sure staff know it is meant to sound and that it should not stop anyone from taking the unit.
Comparing models
Most workplace AEDs perform the core job similarly, so compare on practical differences:
- Pad and battery expiration dates, and the cost of replacements
- Battery life and warranty length
- Clarity of voice and visual prompts
- Durability, if used in a warehouse, plant, or outdoors
- Availability of pediatric pads if children are on site
Prices change, and as of 2026 units generally cost somewhere in the range of a thousand to a few thousand dollars before cabinets, signage, and replacement supplies. Get current quotes from vendors.
Finally, check whether your state requires medical oversight, registration, or notification of EMS for workplace AEDs. Requirements differ widely, so confirm with your state health department.
Step 3: Train Employees in CPR, AED Use, and First Aid
Equipment alone does not save anyone. Match training to the role:
- Healthcare staff and first responders: BLS (Basic Life Support) certification, which covers team-based resuscitation, high-quality compressions, and rescue breaths
- General staff: CPR and AED courses
- Childcare providers and safety teams: CPR with First Aid, including infant and child techniques where relevant
Do not rely on a single designated person. That person will be on vacation, in a meeting, or off shift when it matters. Aim to have several trained people on every shift and in every major area, and use your Step 1 headcounts to decide how many that means for you.
Make sure employees understand the difference between hands-only CPR and full CPR. Hands-only CPR, which is continuous chest compressions without breaths, is recommended for untrained bystanders who are willing to act, because it is simple and gets compressions started quickly. Trained responders should provide full CPR with breaths when they are able, and BLS-level responders are expected to use a bag-mask or pocket mask.
Insist on hands-on practice with manikins. Watching a video builds awareness, but compression depth, rate, and recoil are physical skills. Good instructors give feedback on all three, and that feedback is what makes people confident enough to begin.
Certifications typically need renewal every two years, though you should confirm with the issuing organization for each course. Put expiry dates in a shared calendar with reminders at 90 and 30 days, and schedule renewals in groups so you never end up with a shift that quietly loses its coverage.
Step 4: Write a Clear Emergency Action Plan
Your plan should fit on one page and be readable by someone under stress. Lay out the sequence in plain language:
- Recognize that the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally (gasping does not count as normal breathing).
- Call 911 and put the phone on speaker.
- Send someone to get the AED.
- Begin chest compressions immediately, and keep going until the AED arrives or EMS takes over.
- Turn on the AED, attach the pads, and follow its prompts.
Assign roles
Name roles by position, not just by person, so the plan works when someone is absent. You need a caller, an AED runner, a door greeter who meets EMS, and someone who clears the area and manages onlookers. In a small team, one person may hold two roles, but write that down.
Help EMS find the patient
Dispatchers need precise information. Include the street address, the entrance EMS should use, directions from that entrance to common areas, elevator keys or codes, gate access instructions, and a callback number. In a large campus or warehouse, name the door or dock number. Practice saying this information aloud, because it is easy to forget under pressure.
After the event
Add post-event steps to the plan:
- Hand off to EMS with what happened, how long CPR was performed, and whether a shock was delivered
- Document the event while memories are fresh
- Replace the AED pads and any used supplies, and check the unit before returning it to service
- Offer support to responders, who may feel shaken even after a good response
Step 5: Communicate the Plan and Run Drills
A plan that lives in a binder will not help. Post AED location maps and the one-page action plan at entrances, in break rooms, and near the units themselves. Add them to onboarding materials so new hires learn where the nearest AED is in their first week.
Then rehearse. Run a short scenario drill at least once or twice a year. Use a manikin or a volunteer, announce a simulated collapse, and time three moments: how long until someone calls 911, how long until the AED reaches the patient, and how long until compressions begin. Vary the scenario by shift and location, and try a drill when the usual responder is "unavailable."
Debrief right away, while it is fresh. Ask what slowed the team down. Typical findings include unclear signage, a locked door, a caller who did not know the address, an AED runner who did not know where the unit was, or hesitation to start CPR. Fix each issue and record the change.
Address common fears directly, because they cause delays. People worry they will hurt the patient, but someone in cardiac arrest is not going to be harmed by compressions in the way they would be by receiving no help at all. They worry an AED could shock someone wrongly, but it only advises a shock for certain rhythms. They worry about liability. Good Samaritan protections exist in most states but vary in scope, so have counsel confirm the specifics for your state and then share a plain summary with staff.
Step 6: Maintain Equipment and Review the Program
Assign one person, plus a backup, to own equipment checks. On a set schedule, such as monthly, they should confirm each AED's status indicator shows ready, check pad and battery expiration dates, and make sure the rescue kit is stocked. A typical kit includes gloves, a razor for chest hair, a pocket mask, and trauma shears. Cabinets and signs should be intact and unobstructed.
Keep a log of all of it:
- Inspection dates and who performed them
- Training rosters by shift and location
- Certification expiry dates
- Drill results and fixes made afterward
- Any AED use, with replacement of pads and batteries
Review the whole plan after any real event, after each drill, and whenever something changes: a layout renovation, a new wing or site, a wave of new hires, or a shift to different staffing. A moved wall can put an AED out of the quickest route, and turnover can quietly erase your trained coverage.
Finally, watch for updates to resuscitation guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. When recommendations change, update your training content and plan wording to match. For context on why this matters, the AHA's Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics reports, published annually, track out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence and survival and consistently show that early CPR and early defibrillation improve the odds. Check the latest edition for current figures.
Keeping Your Team Ready Beyond the First Plan
Before you call the program finished, confirm that every shift has trained responders, every AED is accessible and in date, and your team has practiced the plan at least once. Then put the next training session and the next drill on the calendar so readiness does not fade.
Don't wait until an emergency happens. Equip yourself and your team with life-saving skills today. Schedule your CPR certification class now and gain the confidence to respond when every second counts.