CPR, First Aid, and AEDs: What Your Workplace Actually Needs
Every workplace should have employees trained in CPR and First Aid, and most should have an AED on site. The reason is timing: survival from sudden cardiac arrest drops roughly 7 to 10 percent for every minute without CPR and defibrillation, and the national average EMS response time is over eight minutes. Trained people and an AED are what keep someone alive in the gap before help arrives. OSHA's first-aid rule requires trained responders when medical care is not close by, and while an AED is not federally mandated, it is one of the highest-impact pieces of safety equipment a business can own.
Why does on-site CPR and first aid matter so much?
Because the first few minutes decide the outcome, and those minutes usually pass before EMS arrives. In sudden cardiac arrest, the chance of survival falls about 7 to 10 percent per minute without defibrillation, and after roughly ten minutes resuscitation rarely works. With average EMS response times over eight minutes, a bystander doing hands-only CPR and a nearby AED are often the difference between life and death. This is the chain of survival: recognize the emergency, start CPR, use an AED, and hand off to EMS.
Does OSHA require CPR, first aid, or an AED at work?
OSHA requires trained first-aid responders when no clinic or hospital is in near proximity to your workplace, under standard 1910.151, but it does not have a specific standard mandating AEDs. Even so, OSHA strongly encourages AED programs, and state and federal Good Samaritan laws protect people who use an AED in good faith. So the honest answer is that first-aid readiness is often required, an AED is usually not required but is highly recommended, and both cost far less than not having them.
What does good workplace first-aid readiness look like?
Readiness is people, supplies, and a plan, kept current. Build it in this order:
- Train enough employees in CPR, First Aid, and AED use that every shift and every area is covered.
- Stock and maintain first-aid kits sized to your workforce and hazards, and restock them after they are used.
- Place an AED where it can be reached within a couple of minutes, and keep the pads and battery in date.
- Write a simple emergency response plan so people know who calls 911, who gets the AED, and who meets EMS at the door.
- Refresh training on schedule, because skills and certifications lapse.
Do you need an AED, and how do you get one affordably?
If you have trained people but no AED, that is usually the next gap to close, and cost is the reason most businesses stall. Retail AEDs are often priced around $1,600 online, which pushes a lot of small businesses, churches, gyms, and offices to keep putting it off. A/F Business Solutions is now an EMS supply dealer, which means local organizations can work with us to find the right device for their setting and explore more affordable options than the standard retail price. The goal is simple: get properly trained, prepared, and equipped before the day someone needs it.
Real talk: a kit on the wall is not a plan
Plenty of workplaces have a first-aid cabinet and a dusty AED and assume they are covered. They are not. If the AED pads expired two years ago, if only one person on a three-shift operation is trained, or if nobody knows who is supposed to call 911, the equipment is decoration. Readiness is the training, the maintenance, and the plan behind the equipment, and that is the part that actually saves someone.
Get your team trained and equipped
A/F Business Solutions provides hands-on CPR, First Aid, and AED training for workplaces across Yakima and Central Washington, and as an EMS supply dealer can help you source the right AED. Pair it with a summer-ready safety plan from our guide to heat illness prevention for Washington employers, get your chemical program current with the 2026 HazCom midyear review, or work through the monthly workplace safety checklist. To get your team trained or to ask about an AED, call Andrew for safety at (509) 654-0332.
Frequently asked questions
How often do you need to recertify in CPR and First Aid?
Most CPR, First Aid, and AED certifications are valid for two years. Set a renewal schedule so coverage does not lapse between classes.
What is hands-only CPR?
Hands-only CPR is chest compressions without rescue breaths: push hard and fast in the center of the chest. It is designed for bystanders and keeps blood moving to the brain until an AED and EMS arrive.
Is it safe to use an AED on someone?
Yes. An AED analyzes the heart rhythm and only delivers a shock if one is needed, and Good Samaritan laws protect people who use one in good faith. You cannot shock someone who does not need it.
Does every business need an AED?
Not every business is required to have one, but any workplace can benefit, and the case is strongest where large groups gather or help is more than a few minutes away. The cost of an AED is small next to the life it can save.
How much does an AED cost?
Retail AEDs are often around $1,600 online. As an EMS supply dealer, A/F Business Solutions can help local businesses find the right device and explore more affordable options.
