Published on 05/09/2018
As a trusted provider of technology for ship safety, performance and crew welfare, Martek Marine has teamed up with V.Ships, the world’s leading third-party ship management company to combat the number of fatalities from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) at sea.
To combat SCA, V.Ships is rolling out Martek Marine’s Lifeforce™ automated external defibrillator (AED) across each of its managed vessels, enhancing the welfare of its seafarer pool of over 44,000.
The issue of SCA is growing, not just in the maritime industry, with more than six million deaths worldwide directly attributed to SCA, and survival rates less than one per cent.
V Ships said:
“We undertook a thorough investigation of the global AED market before deciding on a model and partner to be equipped throughout the fleet. It was concluded that the LIFEFORCE AED from Martek Marine met all our criteria, with proven shipboard pedigree and type approval from DNV GL. As the leading ship management company in the industry, crew welfare is our highest priority, and as such we have mandated the requirement for AEDs on every ship to protect against sudden cardiac arrest.”
Paul Luen, CEO of Martek Marine, said: “We feel this is the beginning of a truly great partnership, setting the new standard for crew welfare globally.”
SCA can strike anyone at any time. Lifestyle factors can increase the likelihood of suffering from SCA but unfortunately can’t guarantee that.
We’ve previously covered how Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the worlds most famous explorer, collapsed at Bristol airport.
Had it not been for an AED on hand within minutes, it’s highly likely that Sir Ranulph would not have survived.
Age isn’t the only factor either.
Earlier this year, there was a frightening study released on young footballers who suffered from SCA. These are some of the most active individuals on the planet, and the number who collapsed, and died, due to SCA is a stark reality.
Martek Marine is excited to continue to develop our relationship with V.Ships and hope that it will encourage other ship management companies to take sudden cardiac arrest seriously, and protect their crew with fleetwide AEDs.
LIFEFORCE™ is an automated external defibrillator (AED) – specifically designed for the marine environment and was the world’s first defibrillator to be Type Approved.
It is designed to be the simplest to use AED on the market and independent tests have proven that members of the public without any training can deliver a life-saving shock quicker than any other unit in the market.
With a built-in handle and weighing just 1.9kg, the LIFEFORCE™ AED is portable, lightweight and can easily be stored and carried to a victim’s side. It is a durable piece of equipment, tested for use in even the most hostile environments
The unit is weatherproof, with ruggedized handles and sides for ultimate protection from impact damage.
Martek offers a range of training options. You can have a dedicated standalone training unit; your LIFEFORCE™ AED can be easily converted into a temporary training unit for in-house training, or we can offer on-site certified training.
Get in touch to see how the LIFEFORCE™ AED can save the life of you or your crew.