In today’s economy, employers are doing everything they can to cut costs. However, there are a variety of health and safety precautions that should not be changed in an effort to reduce expenses. The health and well-being of employees must be the main concern. Every organization must be equipped with life-saving devices such as an automated external defibrillator.
One hazard in the workplace is sudden cardiac arrest: a rapid and unexpected loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness. According to the Mayo Foundation, “sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency. If not treated immediately, it causes sudden cardiac death. With prompt and proper medical care, survival is possible.” According to the American Heart Association, between 400,000 and 460,000 die each year from cardiac arrest, and 13 percent of these deaths occur in the workplace. With more than one in three adults having one or more types of cardiovascular disease, or 81,100,000 Americans, it’s too great a risk to be unprepared for or, worse, ignored.
Death in the workplace is challenging on a variety of levels for both the employer and surviving co-workers. The most notable are the emotional aspects that follow after a death: depression, anxiety, fear, decreased morale, etc. Also affecting the organization as a whole is the intellectual and institutional knowledge of the deceased employee, as well as higher insurance premiums, potential litigation, and financial strains that directly impact survivors in the workplace. While it is nearly impossible to put a price tag on the death of a co-worker, there are many financial repercussions that the surviving workforce will suffer. In Occupational Health and Safety, Robert Ambrose identifies that he costs the employer 175 percent of that worker’s annual salary to rehire him for the position.
What’s less simple to articulate is the emotional shock of the death of a co-worker, a story Maverick Transportation, LLC knows all too well. When one of its employees, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Brad Scott, died of sudden cardiac arrest, the company immediately decided to do whatever it could to help prevent such a tragic loss in the future. They contacted Ben Wellons, president of eMed, a Little Rock-based company that provides automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and other emergency medical equipment and training. Maverick ordered an automated external defibrillator to be placed in every building throughout its nationwide network of offices and terminals. Brad’s wife, Laura Scott, also a Maverick Transportation employee, honors the company’s decision to try to prevent this in the future. On reflection, Laura Scott said, “I think it was Brad’s time, it was a massive heart attack,” noting her family history of heart disease and a previous attack. “But there are so many lives that can be saved, have been saved, just by being prepared.”
What can an organization do to prevent such a tragedy from happening in its workplace?
1. Establish a culture of health and wellness in the workplace. Provide a break room that offers water and healthy snacks, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain crackers. Allow employees time to exercise and encourage the use of Flex Spending plans.
2. Make sure all your offices or facilities have the proper life-saving equipment, including an automated external defibrillator, CPR masks, and spacious, accessible telephones to call 911 if necessary.
3. Coordinate employee screenings so employees can know confidentially if they have any health risk factors that need to be addressed. Recently, the Institute for Citizen Security personally and confidentially assessed employees at Los Angeles International Airport and found that 15% of men and nearly 26% of women were at significant risk of cardiac arrest within the next two years. Be sure to provide tips for at-risk employees to follow up with their health care provider, and all employees receive advice on how to improve their overall heart health.
4. In the event of a death in your workplace, provide employees with sincere grief resources, giving them time to internalize the effects of the tragedy.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a widespread, silent tragedy that is unpredictable. However, as an employer, you can do your part to mitigate the tragedy through health and wellness education and appropriate emergency medical products, such as an automated external defibrillator. This will keep your workplace healthy and safe.