BigClive
07-29-2007, 10:40 AM
Has the IBEW ever actually investigated the situation regarding the ready availability of portable defibrillators and their potential for saving lives in the electrical industries? It strikes me that the ideal organisation for promoting the use of AED's (Automatic External Defibrillators) is the IBEW.
To recap.... The human heart is composed of a large number of muscles that contract in sync to provide the pressure required to pump blood through the body. When an electric shock is received of just the right current to cause part contraction of the heart it can knock the muscles out of sync and the heart goes into a state of fibrillation where some muscles are contracting while others are expanding and the net result is that the heart stops functioning properly. It's absolutely vital that the heart be re-synced as quickly as possible, since the odds of survival are very time critical (minutes). It's not good enough to hope the emergency services arrive quickly, immediate treatment is very important.
When a portable defibrillator is applied across the chest it monitors the heartbeat to see if treatment is needed or even possible. If necessary the unit then provides a synchronising pulse to the heart to bring all the muscles into sync again.
From the crews perspective, when someone is electrocuted they fetch the small defibrillator unit from the cab and as soon as they open it the unit gives spoken instructions. They apply the self adhesive electrodes to the victim according to the images printed on the backs of the electrodes themselves (usually diagonally across the chest). The unit then gives appropriate advice and applies treatment as needed. And that's it. Hopefully the injured worker recovers.
There's really no excuse for the electrical industry not to issue these units given that they expect their employees to work with live electricity on a daily basis. Since we started discussing defibrillators on this forum several people have died who would probably still be here today had a defibrillator been available. It's time to make it a legal requirement that power companies issue these units to their workforce. IBEW has the clout to do that.
To recap.... The human heart is composed of a large number of muscles that contract in sync to provide the pressure required to pump blood through the body. When an electric shock is received of just the right current to cause part contraction of the heart it can knock the muscles out of sync and the heart goes into a state of fibrillation where some muscles are contracting while others are expanding and the net result is that the heart stops functioning properly. It's absolutely vital that the heart be re-synced as quickly as possible, since the odds of survival are very time critical (minutes). It's not good enough to hope the emergency services arrive quickly, immediate treatment is very important.
When a portable defibrillator is applied across the chest it monitors the heartbeat to see if treatment is needed or even possible. If necessary the unit then provides a synchronising pulse to the heart to bring all the muscles into sync again.
From the crews perspective, when someone is electrocuted they fetch the small defibrillator unit from the cab and as soon as they open it the unit gives spoken instructions. They apply the self adhesive electrodes to the victim according to the images printed on the backs of the electrodes themselves (usually diagonally across the chest). The unit then gives appropriate advice and applies treatment as needed. And that's it. Hopefully the injured worker recovers.
There's really no excuse for the electrical industry not to issue these units given that they expect their employees to work with live electricity on a daily basis. Since we started discussing defibrillators on this forum several people have died who would probably still be here today had a defibrillator been available. It's time to make it a legal requirement that power companies issue these units to their workforce. IBEW has the clout to do that.