Esh Group boosts site safety with defib rollout

A North of England contractor has introduced a life-saving initiative to enhance safety across its sites.

Esh Group has invested in 55 defibrillators, installing them across locations in the North East and Yorkshire as part of its Everyone Safely Home campaign. 

The move aligns with research from the Resuscitation Council UK, which highlights that using a defibrillator within five minutes of cardiac arrest can increase survival rates by up to 70 per cent.

William Stobbs, health, safety, environment and quality director at Esh Group, said: “We have an ongoing commitment at Esh Group to maintain our safety – built on an ethos that everybody working on one of our sites or at one of our offices, should return home safe in an evening.

“Part of our continuous improvement comes on the occupational health side too and we have had the full backing of the executive board to make a substantial investment to introduce this life-saving equipment.”

For William, the initiative holds deep personal significance, having witnessed both the life-saving potential and devastating consequences of cardiac emergencies.

He added: “I encountered a personal tragedy with my father-in-law when he suffered a cardiac arrest on a bus between Tebay and Blackpool. 

“He took ill and unfortunately, despite our efforts with CPR, we weren’t able to save him.

“I then fortunately, had a better outcome when my mother-in-law collapsed in a local pub and her friends used a community sponsored defibrillator until the paramedics arrived. 

“I was expecting to tell my wife that her mother had died at any moment, but when the paramedics arrived and continued use of their defibrillator, they found a slight, faint pulse and told us that the efforts with the defibrillator had saved her.

“We naturally hope that, as a business, our teams won’t need to use them, but rolling out the defibrillators will provide reassurance that there is access to immediate support in an emergency.”

All site supervisors will now receive training on the equipment to ensure quick response times in emergencies. 

The initiative extends beyond worksites, with defibrillators also placed at community locations, including Esh’s headquarters in Bowburn. 

Additional units have been installed at Molescroft Pavillion in Beverley, Ewbank Gardens in Stockton-on-Tees and Filey School in North Yorkshire as part of Esh’s social value commitments.

The rollout, supported by Defib Machines, is part of a five-year programme that includes regular maintenance to ensure all devices remain in working order.

Jonathan Gilbert, managing director at Defib Machines, added: “Seeing a commitment, such as this from Esh Group, really highlights the importance of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the workplace. 

“It was clear from the start that this programme was more than just a box ticking exercise for Esh Group.

“There is a true show of care for everyone who enters an Esh Group workplace. 

“Our approach to AEDs, providing the full support to always have a working AED with people trained on how to use these, has resulted in us becoming the only UK AED provider to never have a device out of service. 

“Having this reassurance and support was clearly important to Esh Group and their commitment to the highest standards has been clear throughout.”

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