St John Ambulance Victoria: mandatory defibrillators will save lives

Defibrillators should be compulsory at Victorian workplaces and public buildings, the state’s leading first aid provider says, amid startling cardiac arrest rates.

Victoria’s leading first aid provider is calling on the state government to make defibrillators compulsory at workplaces and public buildings.

South Australia has become the first jurisdiction in Australia to mandate the installation of automatic external defibrillators (AED) in public buildings – including schools, sporting facilities, jails and theatres – and larger privately owned facilities.

And St John Ambulance Victoria chief executive Gordon Botwright called on his state to follow suit.

“We can’t tolerate losing friends or family at work due to being unable to access a lifesaving defibrillator,” he said.

About 30,000 Australians experience sudden cardiac arrest out of hospital each year. Less than five per cent survive without immediate CPR and defibrillation, according to SJAV.

Last year, only 1.45 per cent of sudden cardiac arrest sufferers got an early shock from a publicly accessible defibrillator.

Further SJAV figures show just 51 per cent of Australians know how to use a defibrillator. This rises to 85 per cent for people who have undertaken first aid in the past three years.

“Nowhere near enough Australians know how to confidently use a defibrillator,” Mr Botwright said.

“Encouraging more people to learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator is an important first step in the chain of survival for someone in cardiac arrest.

“It’s also time that the Victorian government made defibrillators mandatory at workplaces and public buildings.”

A government spokesperson said Victoria’s more than 7000 registered AEDs amounted to “more than other state or territory in Australia”.

“These AEDs are located in a variety of locations, including public spaces, businesses, sporting clubs, helping to create a network of safety for those in need,” the spokesperson said.

Sahil Sahib performed CPR and used a defibrillator to save the life of Ken Caygill, 77, when he suffered a cardiac arrest. Picture: David Caird

But no plans exist in Victoria to require the installation of AEDs in all public spaces and workplaces.

WorkSafe Victoria also encourages employers to “consider whether it is reasonably practicable to have an AED on site to manage the risk of death from cardiac arrest”.

As part of its Defib In Your Street program, SJAV has installed 29 public AEDs in Reservoir and 10 in postcode 3021, comprising St Albans Albanvale, Kealba and Kings Park.

More are planned for the latter region, where a state-high 285 sudden cardiac arrests have occurred in the past five years.

The number exceeds 240 in postcode 3030 (comprising Point Cook and Werribee), Cranbourne, Frankston, Dandenong and Ballarat, too.

Had Frankston’s National Golf Club – Long Island not had a defibrillator on site, Ken Caygill, 77, would likely not have survived after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest on the 10th green.

The club’s golf operations manager, Sahil Sahib, performed CPR and used the defib on the grandfather until paramedics arrived, aided by fellow staff members including his 2IC, Ben Murphy.

“It felt like an eternity, but it may have only been 10 minutes,” Mr Sahib said.

“It was scary for all of us, but the staff did an amazing job.

“The club always makes sure our first aid is up to date (so) instinct just kicked in. But if we didn’t have that defib, I don’t think he would be with us.”

Mr Caygill has since made a full recovery.

To mark Restart a Heart Day, SJAV is offering free CPR lessons at Queensbridge Square in Southbank on October 16.

stjohnvic.com.au

Top Victorian suburbs for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests:

Recorded from July 2017 to June 2022

St Albans, Albanvale, Kealba, Kings Park (3021): 285

Werribee, Werribee South, Point Cook (3030): 285

Cranbourne, Cranbourne West, Cranbourne North (3977): 276

Frankston, Frankston South (3199): 269

Dandenong, Dandenong South, Dandenong North (3175): 248

Ballarat (3350): 242

Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Truganina (3029): 226

Reservoir (3073): 216

Sunshine, Sunshine West, Sunshine North, Albion, Derrmiut (3020): 215

Noble Park, Noble Park North (3174): 181

Source: Ambulance Victoria, supplied by St John Ambulance Victoria