PENNSYLVANIA, May 20 - (3) In sudden cardiac arrest, survival is measured in

seconds, and the chance of survival decreases by about 10%

for every minute that passes without defibrillation.

(4) AEDs are simple, portable devices designed so that

anyone can use them with minimal training, and they can mean

the difference between life and death.

(5) The risk of death from sudden cardiac arrest is

elevated in rural communities, where the nearest hospital or

emergency medical services station may be 20 to 40 minutes

away.

(6) Pennsylvania law already mandates AEDs in schools,

hotels, health clubs and coal mines, yet there is currently

no requirement that electric utilities or their contractors

provide AEDs at worksites where linework and electrical work

are performed.

(7) This lack of a requirement leaves a critical gap in

protection for workers whose jobs are both inherently

hazardous and essential to public safety and the reliability

of the electric grid.

(8) AEDs are inexpensive, easy to use and require

minimal training, and for large utilities, the cost of

purchasing and maintaining AEDs and providing basic training

is small when compared to the human and financial cost of a

preventable death and the loss of a skilled, experienced

lineworker.

(9) Experienced lineworkers are essential to maintaining

and restoring our electric grid.

(10) Pennsylvania already protects students, health club

members, hotel guests and miners with AED mandates, and the

lineworkers who power our homes, businesses and hospitals

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