AEDs sit in a strange compliance spot — often bought once and assumed to look after themselves, but they carry ongoing servicing obligations like any other piece of medical equipment, and a defibrillator that’s not been checked is one of the highest-consequence gaps an accreditation surveyor or workplace safety audit can find.
What AED Servicing Actually Involves
Beyond the pad and battery expiry dates most people know about, AEDs need periodic functional checks — verifying the unit powers on correctly, self-test diagnostics pass, and the device is physically undamaged and accessible. Manufacturer service intervals vary by model, and workplaces with multiple units (gyms, aged care, ambulance services, surf lifesaving clubs) need a consolidated register rather than tracking each unit informally.
Where AED Compliance Commonly Slips
- Expired pads or batteries going unnoticed — especially on units in low-traffic areas that aren’t checked as part of daily routine.
- No formal register — organisations with AEDs across multiple sites or buildings often have no single list of every unit and its status.
- Assuming “no fault light” means compliant — a unit can pass its own self-test and still be due for a manufacturer-scheduled service.
Building a Reliable AED Servicing Programme
The organisations that stay on top of this treat AEDs as part of their regular biomedical equipment testing cycle, not a separate afterthought. Our AED servicing page covers what’s involved in more detail, and a PPM contract can fold AED checks into the same scheduled visits as your other equipment testing. We work with ambulance services and surf lifesaving clubs on exactly this kind of consolidated equipment programme.
FAQ
How often does an AED need to be serviced?
It depends on the manufacturer and model, but beyond pad/battery expiry, most units need a periodic functional check — we can confirm the interval for your specific devices.
We have AEDs across several sites — can you manage them as one programme?
Yes, we can set up a consolidated register and servicing schedule across multiple sites so nothing gets missed.
Does a passing self-test mean the AED doesn’t need further checking?
Not necessarily — a self-test covers basic function, but manufacturer-scheduled servicing checks aspects a self-test doesn’t cover.
Can AED servicing be bundled with our other equipment testing?
Yes, AED checks can be included in the same PPM visit as your other biomedical equipment testing, so there’s one schedule to track instead of several.
Keep Your AEDs Ready and Compliant
Talk to us about folding AED servicing into your equipment testing programme. Contact Nova Biomedical for a quote.
