The Ricoh Arena - Health and Safety Investment
Staff trained to save lives
The events venue that is home of Wasps Rugby Club and where Coventry City FC play has purchased 14 defibrillators and trained more than 100 staff to use the equipment to help save the lives of visitors who suffer a cardiac arrest.
Each defibrillator is visibly installed in high footfall areas around the venue during live sport and music concerts, conferences, exhibitions and for hotel guests.
Paul Cook has been the health and safety manager at the Ricoh Arena for three years, and has overseen the installation and training of the defibrillators – an investment of around £20,000.
He said: “Every minute that a person in cardiac arrest waits for treatment, their chances of survival reduces by ten per cent, so it’s vital we have many defibrillators on-site.
“We’re proud to have saved five lives from cardiac arrest over the past three years, but as a venue we attract more than 1.6 million visitors a year across more than 850 different events which heightens the likelihood of somebody suffering a cardiac arrest whilst at the venue so we want to be as best prepared as possible.
“Having 14 defibrillators on-site means that all of our visitors – regardless of where they are in the venue – will only be three minutes away from a defibrillator.
“Having a high number of staff trained on how to use the device is also a real coup for us, as it is often venue staff or event stewards who are the first people on the scene, which could make all the difference in saving a life.
“That said, the defibrillators are put in easy-to-see locations so that if the need arises, anybody who is confident using one can do so.”
The defibrillators at the Ricoh Arena are iPAD SP1 advisory defibrillators – chosen for their easy-to-use features and ability to be used on both adults and children.
Justine Hewitt, head of operations at the Ricoh Arena, added: “This investment now makes the Ricoh Arena a leader in the provision of defibrillator placement at a major entertainment venue and stadium in the UK.
“The safety of our visitors is a high priority when staging any type of event, so funding equipment that could help save somebody’s life before the emergency services arrive on the scene was a no-brainer.”