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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2004
RPU Installs Automatic External
Defibrillators
AEDs will benefit employees, community
ROCHESTER, MN—Every two-and-a-half
minutes, someone in the United States experiences
sudden cardiac arrest. Of all workplace fatalities
reported to OSHA In 1999 and 2000, 13 percent
were due to sudden cardiac arrest. For electric
utility workers, this risk is greater due
to regular exposure to high voltage electricity.
The keys to surviving sudden cardiac arrest
are: 1) Early discovery, 2) Early CPR, 3)
Early defibrillation, and 4) Early advanced
care. RPU employees currently train in CPR
and First Aid and now, with the help of a
grant from the Minnesota Department of Labor
and Industry, will be able to go one step
further in that survival chain with six recently
installed automatic external defibrillators
(AED).
As AEDs move from hospitals to public spaces—like
shopping malls, airports, and airplanes—RPU
realized the potential benefits of installing
units for employee and public safety. Even
though employees are trained to work with
energized equipment and use all necessary
safety equipment, the risk of accidental electrocution
cannot be completely eliminated. In addition,
both electric and water utility crews often
work in areas that are not easily or quickly
accessible by emergency vehicles or personnel.
Not only are workers who are involved with
electricity generation, transmission and distribution
at a higher risk of cardiac arrest, but RPU
employees are part of an ageing workforce.
Some factors that may aggravate or contribute
to cardiovascular disease for all employees
are smoking, high blood pressure, stress,
diet, lack of exercise, and family history.
RPU worked with Phillips Medical, the AED
manufacturer, to develop a program and determine
the best locations to install these six units
throughout the utility. Several units are
accessible for employee and public use. Two
units are available at each the Silver Lake
Power Plant and the Service Center, and two
units will rotate among the field vehicles.
The most publicly accessible unit is installed
in the front lobby of the Service Center.
The AED-equipped trucks, which circulate throughout
Rochester daily, are clearly marked with an
"AED Equipped" sign, illustrated by a red
heart with white lightening bolt. All field
crew members are trained in CPR and AED procedures.
Training is also offered for office personnel.
The long-term goal is to outfit all field vehicles
with automatic external defibrillators. |
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