The legal baseline

Ontario Regulation 1101 — the workplace first aid law — requires you to have a qualified first aider per shift, a stocked first aid kit, and the required postings. It does not specifically require an AED. So as a strict legal minimum, most workplaces don’t need to install one.

The Defibrillator Registration and Public Access Act, 2020 in Ontario covers AED placement and registration in certain designated facilities — public arenas, recreation facilities, schools, and some other categories. Private workplaces (offices, retail, most manufacturing) aren’t on the mandatory installation list, but if you do install an AED, the Act covers registration requirements with the Ontario AED Registry.

Why most large workplaces install one anyway

Source: Canadian Red Cross 2025 (survival falls ~7–10% per minute of delay to defibrillation); Heart & Stroke Foundation / ILCOR 2025 BLS.

The legal floor (Reg 1101) and the operational best practice (AED + trained first aiders) have diverged over the last 20 years as AED technology has gotten cheaper, more reliable, and more accessible. Modern AEDs literally talk you through the steps — they require no training to operate (Canadian Red Cross / ILCOR 2025), they won’t deliver a shock unless the heart rhythm calls for one, they can’t shock someone with a normal heartbeat, and they give clear verbal instructions for compressions between shocks.

The result: more workplaces install AEDs voluntarily, the way they install smoke detectors. Not strictly required, but the cost-benefit math favours having one.

The decision framework

Use this to assess whether your workplace meaningfully benefits from an AED:

Strong case for installing an AED

• 50+ employees on site — statistical likelihood of cardiac events scales with headcount
• Physically demanding work — manufacturing, construction, warehousing, trades, food service
• Aging workforce — average employee age over 45 raises cardiac risk meaningfully
• Fitness facilities — gyms, yoga studios, dance schools, sports clubs
• Public-facing spaces — retail, restaurants, hotels, banks (your AED protects customers as well as staff)
• Daycares, schools, and recreation centres — additional regulatory requirements may apply
• Longer EMS response times — exurban offices, suburban industrial parks, rural sites where paramedics take several minutes to arrive
• 24/7 operations — overnight and weekend shifts when EMS takes longer to arrive
• Existing safety culture — workplaces that already prioritize health and safety

Lighter case for an AED

• Small office, under 20 employees — statistical risk is low
• Younger workforce — tech startups, junior workforces with average age under 35
• Downtown locations with fast EMS response — dense urban cores where paramedics typically arrive within a few minutes
• Sedentary office work — low risk of exertion-induced events

Even in the “lighter case” category, AED installation has become common as costs have come down. The decision is less about whether the AED is operationally critical and more about whether the cost is justified for the level of protection it offers.

How the AED fits the chain of survival

An AED alone isn’t the whole answer — it’s one link in the chain of survival. Here’s the response every workplace should be ready to run for a collapsed, unresponsive coworker who isn’t breathing normally. An AED requires no training to use, but knowing this sequence makes your response faster and calmer.

1. Check and call 911

   Check for responsiveness and normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds. If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, point at someone: “You — call 911 on speakerphone and get the AED.”

2. Start CPR immediately

   Begin chest compressions — push hard and fast in the centre of the chest at 100–120 per minute. CPR keeps blood flowing while the AED is being retrieved and applied; don’t wait for the AED to start.

3. Turn the AED on and follow its voice prompts

   Turn it on and do exactly what it says. The device requires no training — it reads the rhythm and will only advise a shock if a shock will help (Canadian Red Cross / ILCOR 2025). Continue CPR while the pads are being attached if a second rescuer is present.

4. Apply the pads to bare, dry skin

   Bare and dry the chest and place the pads exactly as pictured on them — one on the upper-right chest just below the collarbone, the other on the left side below the armpit. Remove any medication patches first. Nobody touches the person while the AED analyses.

5. Deliver the shock if advised, then resume CPR

   Make sure everyone is clear, press the shock button if the AED advises one, then immediately resume CPR. Keep following the prompts until EMS takes over or the person starts breathing normally.

Source: Canadian Red Cross 2025; Heart & Stroke Foundation / ILCOR 2025 BLS (AED requires no training; use as soon as available; resume compressions immediately after the shock). For pads on a child or baby, use pediatric pads or the AED’s child setting; if none are available, use adult pads rather than withhold defibrillation. See our step-by-step AED guide.

What it costs

Total 10-year cost for a single AED at a typical workplace: roughly $2,500–$5,000 including maintenance. Per employee per year for a 50-person office, that’s about $5–$10/year — less than a coffee per employee per month.

Training: pairing AED with CPR is the real value

An AED alone isn’t enough. The chain of survival in cardiac arrest involves recognizing the event, calling 911, starting CPR, and using the AED — in roughly that order. CPR keeps blood flowing while the AED is being retrieved and applied. Most modern AEDs prompt the user to continue CPR between shocks.

Almost every workplace AED installation gets paired with refreshed CPR training for the team. Standard First Aid + CPR Level C covers AED use as part of the curriculum (so you’re not paying extra for AED-specific training if your team is already SFA-certified). The investment compounds: trained staff + on-site AED + clear emergency protocol = realistic chance of saving a life.

What we recommend pairing with an AED purchase

• Standard First Aid + CPR Level C for at least 2 staff per shift (more than the Reg 1101 minimum) — see our Reg 1101 compliance guide
• Documented emergency response protocol — who retrieves the AED, who calls 911, who clears the area
• Annual AED awareness refresh — even staff not designated as first aiders should know where the AED is
• Registration with the Ontario AED Registry via the Heart and Stroke Foundation

Where to mount the AED

The general rule: any worker should be able to retrieve the AED and return to a casualty within about 90 seconds from anywhere in the workplace.

• Centrally located — lobby, main corridor, central break room
• Clearly visible — bright signage, ideally with the universal AED symbol
• Unlocked and accessible 24/7 if your workplace operates outside business hours — the Canadian Red Cross and ILCOR 2025 advise against locked AED cabinets; if a cabinet is used, unlocking must be immediate and obvious
• Near a phone for simultaneous 911 calling
• Climate-controlled — AEDs and pads degrade in extreme heat or cold
• Not in a locked office that’s empty after hours

Source: Canadian Red Cross 2025; ILCOR / ERC 2025 BLS (advise against locked public-access AED cabinets; keep available 24/7; register the unit).

For large or multi-floor workplaces, more than one AED may be needed. Manufacturing floors, large schools, and 50,000+ sq ft facilities often install 2–4 units to meet the 90-second retrieval rule.

What employers most often get wrong

• Buying the cheapest unit available without considering pad and battery costs over 10 years
• Mounting in an office that’s locked after 5pm — defeats the purpose for evening and weekend shifts
• Skipping CPR training assuming the AED alone is enough — it’s not
• Not registering with the Ontario AED Registry — required under the 2020 Act if you’re in a designated facility
• Forgetting maintenance — expired pads or dead batteries make the AED useless
• No clear emergency protocol — staff don’t know who does what during a real event

The realistic answer

For most Ontario workplaces with 30+ employees, the cost-benefit math favours installing an AED — and pairing it with refreshed CPR training for your designated first aiders. The legal floor is one thing; the practical risk-management answer is usually yes.