Salmon company has trained hundreds to save a life 

Salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms, which has over time placed 23 defibrillators at some of its premises in Shetland, Orkney, and the Scottish mainland, has now trained more than half its workforce to use the lifesaving devices.

Managing director Jim Gallagher was among eight staff at SSF’s head office in Stirling who recently underwent the training as part of a half-day session focused on first aid in the workplace.

It brings the total number of SSF staff trained in using the heart-starting devices to 313.

SSF has installed its defibrillators outdoors wherever possible, so that the local community can access them too. A defibrillator gives a high energy shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest.

Nearest device

The SSF defibrillators are registered on The Circuit – the national defibrillator network which provides an overview of where defibrillators can be found across the UK – so that they are visible to NHS ambulance services who can direct callers to their locations, in the event they prove to be the nearest.

SSF’s head of human resources Fiona McCann, who also undertook the training, told staff newsletter The Source: “Knowing when and how to use a defibrillator isn’t something any of us wants to have to put into practice.

“In the event of an emergency, however, it could help save a life, be it in the workplace or in our local communities.”

SSF has 14 defibrillators in Shetland, two in Orkney, and seven on the Scottish mainland.

A short British Heart Foundation video explaining what defibrillators are and how to use them can be seen here.