Dura Composites has installed two life-saving defibrillators at its HQ and Operations Centre premises in Clacton on Sea.
The defibrillators, also known as AEDs (Automated External defibrillators), are used to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm when a person is in cardiac arrest. Research has shown that deploying a defibrillator within three to five minutes of collapse can produce survival rates as high as 50-70%.
The decision to invest in the life-saving equipment came following the attendance of an emergency first aid course by several Dura Composites employees. With the nearest public defibrillators currently an eight minute round trip, and with the average ambulance wait times in the area rising, the team were keen to reduce response time as much as possible.
Commenting on the move to install the defibrillators, Charmaine Steele, Head of Culture & People at Dura Composites said: “According to the British Heart Foundation, less than one in 10 people in the UK survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The wellbeing of our staff will always be our number one priority and whilst I hope we never need to use the defibrillators, ensuring that they are present at both our facilities and that our First Aiders are trained to use them would give any staff member or visitor to our premises in cardiac arrest the best chance of survival.”
The company is increasing its investment in health and wellbeing, recently being awarded a prestigious RoSPA Gold Award for health and safety performance during the period of January 01, 2021, to December 31, 2021.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has been at the heart of accident prevention for almost 100 years and its award scheme attracts almost 2,000 entries every year, from nearly 50 countries and a reach of over seven million employees. The awards ceremony takes place in London at the ExCeL Centre on May 17, 2022 with a daytime award ceremony, followed by a Gala Dinner in the evening.
Website: www.duracomposites.com