Shock tactics ensure survival at sea
We are all used to thinking of sailors as a hardy lot, but what happens when you are at sea and one of the crew suffers a sudden cardiac arrest?
Miles from shore and crucial time from the arrival of emergency services, prompt action can mean the difference between life and death, as when someone suffers from a sudden cardiac arrest, every minute that the heart is not beating lowers the odds of survival by 7% to 10%.
It is just this scenario that has encouraged the massive uptake of a special defibrillator designed for use in the marine environment. Martek has already equipped over 300 ships with the Lifeforce Marine Defibrillator in the five months since it was released, protecting approximately 12,000 seafarers in the process.
The defibrillation process, as anyone who watches television hospital dramas knows, is the standard ‘shock’ treatment used to bring an arrhythmic or chaotic heart beat back into rhythm again, thus restarting the pumping of blood around the body.
Martek’s new Lifeforce Marine Defibrillator is the first of its type, reflecting the needs of crew for emergency treatment while away from shore in sometimes difficult conditions. The device has been type approved by Germanischer Lloyd. The company points out that with a life saving medical device onboard, users need to be sure that it will deliver the when needed, and that the unit has been rigorously tested in a marine environment.
One forward thinking owner, Wilson Ship Management AS (Norway), has deployed Lifeforce on 80 dry cargo vessels. Mr Thorbjørn Dalsøren, maritime personnel manager says Wilson’s recognised the value of investing in the marine defibrillator for the entire fleet of owned vessels, showing the company’s commitment to seafarer’s welfare.
‘Lifeforce’s Type Approval reassured us that, in the unfortunate event of an emergency life saving situation, it is guaranteed to perform.’ he added. ‘The simplicity and ease of use offered by Lifeforce was another key factor in our decision, along with the total support provided by Martek Marine, a dedicated marine company that understands the demands of our shipping operations.’
Cyprus based Maestro Ship Management also looks upon the provision of a defibrillator to each of its vessels as sensible and proactive good management that additionally provides the crew with a real means to make a difference. The company’s MD, Tony Loizou added that cost, as well as it being a unit ‘specifically tailored for the fairly unforgiving demands of the marine industry’ but still simple to use swung the company decision to install the Lifeforce units in 14 reefer and ro-ro ships as well as in the head office.
