SCA’s defibrillators can save lives in local communities

SCA Skog’s defibrillator project originated from a risk observation that highlighted the fact that local offices’ defibrillators were accessible to the community only during office hours.

“In some locations, especially smaller communities in remote areas of northern Sweden, there is no defibrillator available around the clock. We realized that SCA’s defibrillators could make the difference between life and death,” explains Lena, adding:

“For every minute that passes after a cardiac arrest without intervention, the chance of survival decreases by 10 percent. Knowledge of CPR is vital, and fast access to a defibrillator is equally critical.”

Selected test offices

By consulting the CPR Council’s defibrillator register via the Swedish “Rädda hjärtat”(Save the heart) app, the network identified communities with SCA Skog’s local offices that lacked 24/7 access to defibrillators. Distance to public healthcare was also taken into account when selecting offices. As a result, the local offices in Kälarne, Liden, Kalix, Norsjö, Ytterhogdal, and Jokkmokk were chosen as test locations.

SCA’s offices in Kälarne and Ytterhogdal have already installed defibrillators in cabinets mounted on the building exteriors, while the other offices are in the process of doing so. The cabinets are designed to withstand cold temperatures down to minus 45 degrees Celsius.

“We’re placing the cabinets in suitable spots on the building façades, making them accessible to everyone. Afterwards, we’ll evaluate to ensure the defibrillators are working properly and are not being stolen. If everything goes well, we can make defibrillators at other local offices accessible 24/7,” says Lena.

“It’s gratifying to make our defibrillators accessible in this way and to contribute to the community by potentially saving lives,” says Linn Zwahlen, Production leader and responsible for the office in Kälarne (picture to the left).

Making a big impact

Once a defibrillator is installed at a local office, SCA updates the information in the defibrillator register to show that it is constant availability.

“This is a relatively small effort that can make a significant impact. Of course, we hope our defibrillators don’t need to be used, but if the situation arises, it feels great to know we can contribute and potentially save lives,” Lena concludes.

Photo: Linn Zwahlen and Gustav Rotvold/SCA