Public Health (Availability of Defibrillators) Bill 2018

Public bill · Private Member · Introduced

School management boards would be required to install and keep working defibrillators so they are available for use by the public on school premises. Schools would also have to display clear signs, publish location details online, keep a register of each defibrillator, and make sure enough staff or other people on the premises are trained to use them. The bill also gives legal protection to schools and rescuers acting in good faith, sets penalties for non-compliance, and gives the Health and Safety Authority a role in checking that the rules are followed. It matters because quick access to a defibrillator can save lives in a cardiac emergency, especially when every minute counts.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to require the management boards of schools to install and maintain defibrillators so that they are available for public use and to require such boards of management to erect signage and make information available online regarding the location of such defibrillators and to require the boards of management to provide training to persons on the premises; to require the maintenance of a register in each premises concerning defibrillators located therein; to provide appropriate exemptions from civil liability; to provide for offences; to empower the Health and Safety Authority to supervise and ensure compliance with this Act and for that purpose to amend the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005; and to provide for related matters.

Last updated 13 February 2020