A LIFE-SAVING defibrillator has been installed by a firm outside its premises in Bury town centre.

Bury BusinessLodge has had the equipment fitted on the outside of its building on Barcroft Street as part of its commitment to client and visitor safety and helping members of the public in an emergency.

It has been calculated that less than one in 10 people in the UK survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, mainly due to a lack of defibrillators and a lack of CPR training.

Esther Johnson, health and safety manager at BusinessLodge, said: “When you look at the statistics, they are really quite sobering.

“As a busy business centre that is open 24 hours a day housing hundreds of clients across four buildings, we felt it was our responsibility to be prepared should the worst happen, as well as giving something back to the local community alike.

“By having a defibrillator on the premises and by training team members in CPR, businesses can play an important part in helping more people survive a cardiac arrest.

"In the installation of a defib at BuisnessLodge, the company is demonstrating to clients, colleagues, visitors, and the local community alike that it is committed to taking people’s safety seriously.”

The equipment was purchased through the defibrillator accreditation scheme and all BusinessLodge first aiders will receive basic training in the machine, however, it is specifically designed to be easy for anyone to use. 

Esther added: “As life slowly returns to normality, we’re seeing more and more people come through the doors of our centres.

"We felt it was imperative to ensure that we had the means to offer the best form of support to these people should the worst happen.”