Workplace AED Readiness Checklist
An AED on the wall feels like readiness. Actual readiness is the system around it: pads that are in date, staff who know where the device lives, and a response plan people have practiced. This checklist walks through the five areas that decide whether your AED helps on its worst day.
Work through it honestly — every "no" is a fixable gap, and most fixes are cheap or free. Use the copy button at the bottom to paste the list into your safety notes or a maintenance ticket.
1. The device itself
- AED is mounted, visible, and unobstructed — not in a drawer or closet
- Status/readiness indicator shows ready (check what "ready" looks like for your model)
- Electrode pads are within their expiration date
- Battery is within its expiration/service date
- Spare pads are on hand or on order
- If children are regularly on site, pediatric pad options have been considered
- Someone is assigned to restock and return the AED to service after any use
2. Placement & access
- Located along a central, high-traffic route — not a back office
- Reachable quickly from the areas where people actually gather or work
- Not behind a locked door during any operating hours
- AED signage is visible from the main work or gathering areas
- Outdoor or vehicle units are protected from heat and weather
3. The people
- Staff can point to the AED's location without hesitating
- More than one trained responder is present on every shift
- CPR/AED training is current — not something from years ago
- New-hire orientation includes the AED location and response basics
4. The plan
- It's decided in advance: who calls 911, who gets the AED, who meets EMS
- Your street address is posted where callers can read it under stress
- Someone documents incidents and restocks supplies afterward
- The response has been walked through at least once — even a five-minute drill counts
5. Supporting kits
- First aid kit is stocked, accessible, and actually checked on a schedule
- A bleeding control kit has been considered for sites with machinery, vehicles, or crowds
- Kit checks are on a calendar, not a someday list
Want the readiness review instead?
Have GoMedTrng walk your site with you and review AED placement, pad and battery dates, kit access, readiness procedures, and training opportunities.
Request an AED Readiness ReviewTurn the checklist into a plan
Request an AED & Readiness Review, or bundle it with on-site CPR/AED training so the review and the practice happen in one visit.
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