Reviewed: 27 April 2025
Could You Use a Defibrillator If Someone Collapsed Right Now?
An AED mounted on a wall is not compliance — it is furniture. Without trained staff, it is useless. Find out what Australian WHS law actually requires.
Shop AEDs & Defibrillators →A cardiac arrest in a high-risk workplace does not wait for paramedics. It does not wait for the one trained first aider to come back from lunch. And it does not care whether your AED is mounted on the wall with fresh batteries if nobody knows how to use it.
In Australia's high-risk industries — construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and mining — the stakes of an untrained response to cardiac arrest are measured in minutes. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival drops by 7–10% every minute without defibrillation, according to NSW Health data. In regional Australia, where ambulance response times often exceed 15–20 minutes, an AED and a trained first aider are not optional extras. They are the difference between a recoverable situation and a fatality.
What Australian Workplaces Get Wrong About AEDs
What Australian Law Requires
Safe Work Australia's Model Code of Practice: First Aid in the Workplace requires employers to provide appropriate first aid equipment and ensure workers are trained to use it. For high-risk workplaces — construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and remote operations — this obligation goes beyond a basic kit. It includes:
Appropriate equipment: A basic first aid kit may not be sufficient for all high-risk workplaces. If cardiac events are a foreseeable risk — physically demanding work, remote locations, older workforce — an AED should be considered essential equipment.
Trained personnel: Equipment alone is not compliance. Workers must be trained to use the first aid equipment in the workplace. An AED that no-one can operate is a compliance failure.
South Australia: The Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022 in SA mandates AEDs in certain buildings, facilities, and vehicles. Check with SafeWork SA for specific requirements in your industry.
Regular refreshers: First aid training — including CPR and AED use — should be refreshed every 12 months for CPR and every 3 years for full first aid certification.
What Australians Ask About AEDs at Work
"Do I legally need an AED at my workplace?" Safe Work Australia does not mandate AEDs in most workplaces — but the Code of Practice requires equipment appropriate to foreseeable risks. For remote worksites, physically demanding industries, and workplaces with older workers, an AED is considered best practice and is increasingly expected by inspectors.
"Can anyone use an AED — or does it need to be a trained first aider?" Modern AEDs are designed to be used by anyone — they provide step-by-step audio and visual instructions. However, trained users respond faster, more calmly, and more effectively under pressure. Training dramatically increases the chance of a successful outcome.
"How often should AED training be refreshed?" CPR skills should be refreshed annually. Full first aid certification every 3 years. AED-specific training should be included in every CPR refresher — skills degrade quickly without practice.
"What if our AED is used and needs replacing?" AED pads and batteries must be replaced after use. Check your AED's indicator regularly and maintain a maintenance schedule. Some AEDs include self-testing functions — check the manufacturer's guidance.
Is Your Workplace AED-Ready?
Browse our range of AEDs and defibrillators for Australian workplaces — or use the kit finder to identify what your site needs for full WHS compliance.
Shop AEDs & Defibrillators →What to Do in a Cardiac Arrest — The DRSABCD Protocol
- D — Danger. Check the scene is safe for you, bystanders, and the casualty.
- R — Response. Check if the person is conscious — call their name, tap their shoulders firmly.
- S — Send for help. Call 000 immediately or direct a bystander to call while you act. Send someone to retrieve the AED.
- A — Airway. Open the airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin.
- B — Breathing. Check for normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds. Occasional gasps are not normal breathing.
- C — CPR. Begin CPR — 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths. If unable or untrained to give rescue breaths, continuous compressions are still highly effective. Push hard and fast — 100–120 compressions per minute.
- D — Defibrillation. As soon as the AED arrives, turn it on and follow the audio and visual instructions. Apply pads, stand clear, and allow the device to analyse and shock if indicated. Resume CPR immediately after each shock — do not pause for more than 10 seconds.
At Assurance First Aid Kits, we have trained thousands of workers across Dubbo and regional NSW. One workplace came back to us with this: a worker had a cardiac event in their depot. The AED on site saved their life — because two staff members had completed a refresher with us two weeks earlier. That is the difference training makes. Not just compliance. Outcomes.
Industry-Specific AED Considerations
| Industry | AED Risk Level | Key Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Construction & Trades | High | Physical exertion, heat stress, remote locations — AED strongly recommended on site |
| Mining & Resources | High | Remote sites with long ambulance response times — AED is near-essential equipment |
| Agriculture & Farming | High | Physical work, older workforce profile, remote locations — AED recommended for all farm vehicles and sheds |
| Manufacturing | Medium–High | Physical work and machinery operation — AED and trained first aiders required by Code of Practice for high-risk settings |
| Office & Retail | Lower | Still a real risk — particularly in large workplaces or those with older workforce. AEDs increasingly standard in larger office buildings |
| Sporting Events | Medium–High | Public-facing events with physical exertion — AED and trained responders should be on-site for all organised events |
Frequently Asked Questions
References
- Safe Work Australia — Model Code of Practice: First Aid in the Workplace — safeworkaustralia.gov.au
- Australian Resuscitation Council (ANZCOR) — DRSABCD and CPR Guidelines — resus.org.au
- NSW Health — Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Data — health.nsw.gov.au
- SafeWork NSW — Workplace First Aid and AED Requirements — safework.nsw.gov.au
- Heart Foundation Australia — CPR and Defibrillation — heartfoundation.org.au
- Better Health Channel — Defibrillators and Cardiac Arrest — betterhealth.vic.gov.au
