One thing that is frustrating to me as an advocate for AED's is when AED's are not maintained properly. Although AED's require very little in the way of maintenance, it is important to recognize that they do have batteries that can deplete over time and the AED pads do expire. So often I will see AED's in public places and well..... I look at them, only to determine that they are not ready for use and if it were needed in a true emergency it may or may not work. Many states have requirements for maintaining AED's but California is specific and says that the AED's must be inspected every 28 days. In general we recommend that AED's be inspected every month.
On an AED there are only 4 main items that should be inspected on a regular basis
1.) Pads expiration date (every set of AED pads is marked with a expiration date
2.) Check the Status indicator. (Every AED has some visual indicator which will let you know the devices state of readiness.)
3.) Battery status (This is not always easy to determine without manually running a self test) Refer to your specific operations maual for details
4.) Check the overall condition of the AED. Is there any visible cracks in the housing? Is it clean?
A monthly AED inspection takes all of about 1 minute to complete but can mean the difference between life and death in an emergency. Having the AED in a visible place will help make sure the inspections get done. You can use an AED Inspection Tag to record your inspections. If you are going to buy an AED or have an AED make sure it is inspected on a regular basis. For more information on inspecting your AED- Inspecting your AED
To purchase replacement pads and batteries for your AED visit www.aeduniverse.com
