Defibrillators fitted to East Riding bin lorries in UK first

PIONEERING PROJECT INCLUDES ALL 72 REFUSE TRUCKS IN THE FLEET

- By DEBORAH HALL

IN a pioneering project, lifesaving defibrillators have been fitted to all bin collection lorries in the East Riding.

Thought to be the first scheme of its kind in the UK, East Riding Council has installed the machines in its entire fleet of refuse trucks in order to help if any medical emergencies occur while the bin crews are out and about on their rounds in the community.

All 72 bin lorries now carry the defibrillators. That will increase to more than 80 with the roll-out of weekly brown bin food waste collections in the East Riding, which began in February.

The council's bin crews will receive training in CPR and how to use the defibrillators. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are portable devices that deliver an electric shock to the heart during sudden cardiac arrests to restore its normal rhythm.

They are designed for public use in emergencies while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. They are easy to use, without training, and have been proved to increase patient survival rates by more than 70 per cent.