Installing life saving equipment across the UK
April 2019
Pendragon PLC is the UK’s leading automotive retailer with vehicle dealerships and business sites right across the country. Pendragon brands include Stratstone, Evans Halshaw, and Car Store.
The Health and Safety team at Pendragon constantly review their business operations to ensure team members, customers, and visitors are safeguarded at all times. They do this by regularly risk assessing and updating safe systems of work.
With the continuous and rapid changes in vehicle technology, particularly in automotive workshops, and the anticipated increase in supply and servicing of electrified vehicles, Pendragon’s Health and Safety team felt it was crucial to provide every one of its business locations with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). This involved installing more than 200 ZOLL AED Plus devices.
Choosing St John Ambulance
Sharon Collins, Group Insurance Risk Leader at Pendragon, said: ‘We chose St John Ambulance as our supplier because in addition to supporting the NHS with their own ambulance response services, they also provide first aid training for team members across all Pendragon businesses in the UK.
Existing and newly qualified first aiders are trained in the use of an AED as part of their first aid training. The defibrillators we’ve installed are fully automated. This means if anyone suffers a sudden cardiac arrest, any Good Samaritan can use the AED with confidence and without fear.
Our aim is to provide peace of mind for all team members, customers, and members of the public in the event of an emergency. Having an AED available at all of our sites will contribute greatly to this.
The availability of a defibrillator can mean the difference between life and death, and we are proud to be working alongside St John Ambulance on this project.’
Simon Dunn, Regional Director for the North at St John Ambulance, said: ‘For each minute that passes, the survival rates of a casualty who has suffered a cardiac arrest drops by 10%, this is why quick access to a defibrillator is vital. Not only will the AEDs benefit Pendragon’s staff and customers, but the local community too, ensuring they have life saving equipment nearby when they need it the most.
We are delighted to be able to support Pendragon with the installation of these easy-to-use defibrillators.’
Adrian Waller, Strategic Account Manager at ZOLL Medical Corporation, said: ‘We applaud Pendragon and St John Ambulance for their foresight in undertaking this important initiative to safeguard the lives of their customers, employees, and the public in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest. Making AEDs readily available is a critical step to helping improve survival rates when every second counts.’
