Heart Attack Safety On the Job

Volume 4 Issue 41

April 2005

If you do not already know a fellow employee who has suffered a heart attack, you soon might. Cardiovascular disease is the single greatest cause of death in the United States each year. According to Injury Facts® (2003), it was responsible for more than 2,406 deaths per day - that's nearly one cardiac death every two minutes! But your coworkers do not have to be victims if you and the people you work with take some easy steps.

One, devote a lunch break or two to healthy living. 75% of American adults already show traces of dangerous fat in their arteries that contribute to cardiac arrest but that does not mean that someone with an unhealthy lifestyle has to die or even suffer a heart attack.

 Organizations such as the American Heart Association or even local hospitals will give presentations about healthy diet and exercise to small groups. They will teach you and your coworkers how to avoid preventable risk factors such as stress, smoking and high blood pressure, exercise regularly for at least 20 minutes, 3 times a week and maintain a healthy and balanced diet. You can even create a healthy lunch for the employees who attend the event to eat so they can see that eating right is no where as detestable as they have thought.

Two, make sure the diet and exercise information is applied. Friends can buddy up for exercise which is more fun than exercising alone and makes each buddy more likely to stick with the exercise regimen. Half of all heart attack victims wait more than two hours before seeking help. If symptoms are recognized and treated sooner, fatality rates drop drastically.

Three, have a group give a presentation about the signs of a heart attack and even create posters for all over your workplace outlining in easily understood language the signs that someone is having a heart attack.
The signs of a heart attack include dizziness or fainting, nausea or vomiting, pain or discomfort centered in the chest area, which may radiate to left arm, neck, back or jaw, palpitations or rapid heart beats and shortness of breath or sweating.  95% of people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest die before reaching the hospital. Knowing what to do before help arrives can mean the difference between life and death. Administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) within 4 minutes greatly reduces the risk of brain damage.

Four, invite experts such as the American Heart Association, the local fire department or a hospital to teach group classes about CPR and First Aid. Furthermore, automated external defibrillation (AED) within 5 minutes increases chances of survival by 40%. AEDs are accurate, easy to operate and now commonly found in our work places and communities.

So, five, buy an automated external defibrillation (AED) for your workplace if the company will not buy one. Have experts teach employees how to use the device properly.

Saving a life is the most important job you will ever do.

Email this article to a friend

Email a friend a link to our web site

Have you seen a safety device you think our readers should know about?
Does your company make or sell a safety device you would like to see featured in this column?
If so, please e-mail the information about the device to Safety Issues.
The purpose of this column is to make your life safer with the use of the latest technology.
Neither Safety Issues nor its affiliated companies are responsible for any opinions expressed in this column.
Thank you for reading this column.

  © 2008 SafetyIssues.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.