An automated external defibrillator (AED) can restart the heart of someone in cardiac arrest. It's not a legal requirement for most workplaces – but it can be the difference between life and death.

Is It a Legal Requirement?

No. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says health and safety law doesn't require you to have an AED, and there's no UK law requiring them in public places.

However, your first aid needs assessment should consider the risk of cardiac arrest – and the Resuscitation Council UK points out that this is a real possibility almost anywhere people work or visit. If you do provide an AED, you must keep it maintained and make sure people know how to use it.

Why It Matters

  • There are over 40,000 cardiac arrests outside hospital in the UK every year, and fewer than 1 in 10 people survive.
  • For every minute without CPR and defibrillation, the chance of survival drops by up to 10%.
  • An ambulance may take longer to arrive than that time allows. An AED on site means a shock can be given within minutes.

Who Has Them?

  • Public places – you've probably noticed them appearing in towns and villages: in old red phone boxes, outside Nationwide Building Society branches and in many other places.
  • Schools – every state school in England has had one since 2023, and every school in Northern Ireland since early 2026.
  • Many gyms, sports clubs, shops, offices, places of worship and community buildings.
  • Scotland and Wales both have national plans to improve cardiac arrest survival, including more community defibrillators.

Anyone Can Use One

You don't need training to use an AED. Once it's switched on, it talks you through every step, checks the heart rhythm and only allows a shock if one is needed. Training still builds confidence, and AED use is now part of standard workplace first aid courses.

  • Semi-automatic – tells you to press the shock button.
  • Fully automatic – gives the shock itself after a warning.

Children: use child pads or the device's child setting for children aged 1 to 8 if you have them. If not, use the adult pads – don't delay.

Cabinets and Location

  • Put it where it can be reached quickly – near reception or a main entrance – and sign it clearly.
  • For public access, the Resuscitation Council UK recommends unlocked cabinets, as locks delay access.
  • Outdoor cabinets are often heated, to protect the device and pads from the cold.

Register It on The Circuit

The Circuit is the UK's national defibrillator network. It's free to register, and ambulance services use it to send 999 callers to the nearest AED. It also reminds you about checks and when pads expire.

Looking After It

  • Check the status light regularly – most AEDs test themselves automatically.
  • Make sure the pads are sealed and in date, and the battery is working.
  • Pads and batteries usually last 3 to 5 years unused. Replace pads after every use.
  • Record your checks.

Could I Be Sued?

No one in the UK has been successfully sued for using an AED or giving CPR in an emergency. In England and Wales, the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015 also requires courts to take into account that someone was acting to help.

More information: HSE first aid FAQs, Resuscitation Council UK – do I need an AED? and British Heart Foundation – defibrillators. See also Choosing a Workplace First Aid Kit.

Worth remembering… your fire risk assessment is what decides what your premises need. This guide is general advice, not a substitute for it.

Not sure what you need? Get in touch with our team – we'll be delighted to help. No pressure. No sales patter.