Nationwide Platforms reinforces lifesaving commitment for Heart Month

As Heart Month shines a spotlight on cardiovascular health across the UK, Nationwide Platforms is reaffirming its commitment to protecting lives at work by ensuring defibrillators are available across its operations, alongside comprehensive emergency first aid training for colleagues nationwide.

The UK’s leading powered access provider has defibrillators installed at every Nationwide Platforms location, ensuring rapid access to lifesaving equipment in the event of a cardiac emergency.

Alongside this, the company continues to invest heavily in emergency preparedness. So far, 109 employees have completed or are undertaking accredited Emergency First Aid at Work refresher sessions, delivered as two- and three-day courses.

Because sudden cardiac arrest can happen without warning, early intervention is critical. By combining accessible defibrillators with trained responders on site, Nationwide Platforms aims to create safer environments for both employees and visitors across its depots and developments.

“Cardiac emergencies don’t wait for the perfect moment,” said Graham Boyle, Quality, Health, Safety and Environment Director at Nationwide Platforms. “Having defibrillators in place, and people who know how to use them confidently, can mean the difference between life and death. We’ve dealt with two occurrences in the workplace over the last six months, and thankfully, due to the team being well trained, they were able to respond correctly at a crucial time. Both team members are being supported by Nationwide Platforms in their recovery.”

The emergency first aid training undertaken by Nationwide Platforms colleagues covers essential lifesaving skills including CPR, defibrillator use, recognition of cardiac events, and effective response in the critical minutes before emergency services arrive. Training is delivered across different roles and regions, ensuring coverage throughout the business.

This approach reflects the company’s wider safety culture, where prevention, preparedness and people sit at the centre of operational decision-making. From pioneering intelligent safety systems for powered access equipment to investing in health, wellbeing and first aid capability, Nationwide Platforms continues to treat safety as a key responsibility.

“By embedding first aid knowledge across the business and giving our employees the confidence to identify the signs leading up to a cardiac emergency, we’re empowering colleagues to look after one another,” Graham added. “That sense of collective responsibility is fundamental to our culture, and it’s something we continue to build on year after year.”

Heart Month is marked annually in February to raise awareness of heart and circulatory diseases and to promote practical actions that can save lives. Nationwide Platforms’ ongoing investment in defibrillators and emergency training forms part of its long-term commitment to safeguarding people wherever it operates.