Business Category: Maintenance / Industrial Category: Health Care

AED Maintenance Checklist

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Use this AED checklist to perform the following maintenance tasks: 1. Confirm electrodes and batteries have not expired. 2. Ensure electrodes are properly connected to the input connector. 3. Verify essential supplies (razor, mask, gloves, and extra batteries) are available. 4. Examine the AED unit for any physical damage or cracks. 5. Inspect all cables for cracks, cuts, and exposed or broken wires.

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AED Maintenance Checklist
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How to Use This Checklist

  • Record the inspection details — the date it was conducted, who prepared it, and the location of the AED — so the record can be traced to the unit it covers.
  • Confirm the green status indicator displays correctly, showing the AED is ready for use. As part of this, power the AED on and off and verify the green indicator confirms readiness.
  • Verify that electrode pads and batteries are within their expiration date, and replace them if they are not.
  • Confirm that electrode pads are pre-connected to the AED input connector and sealed in their original packaging.
  • Verify that essential supplies are available for immediate use — a razor, CPR mask, gloves, and extra batteries — and note how many spare electrode pad sets are on-site.
  • Examine the unit for cleanliness, damage, and excessive wear. Check the housing for cracks or loose parts, and inspect all cables for cracks, cuts, and exposed or broken wires.
  • Rate the overall condition of the AED unit, record any additional notes or observations, and sign the maintenance log along with the inspection start and end dates and the time it was finished.

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What AED maintenance is

An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable device used to deliver a shock to someone in sudden cardiac arrest. Because it is stored for long periods and only used in an emergency, its condition depends on routine checks rather than on use. AED maintenance is the recurring work of confirming that the unit, its electrodes, its batteries, and its accessories are ready to be taken to a casualty without delay. This checklist is the tool for that work. It walks through the physical state of the unit and its supplies, and it produces a dated, signed record of what was found and what was replaced.

Why it matters

An AED only helps when it is ready to use. The failure modes are quiet ones: - **Expired electrodes or batteries.** The checklist has you verify that electrode pads and batteries are within their expiration date and replace them if expired, and that electrodes are connected to the AED and sealed in their original packaging. - **A unit that is not actually ready.** The check on the green status indicator — and powering the AED on and off to confirm it — tells you whether the device reports itself as ready. - **Missing supplies.** A defibrillator without a razor, CPR mask, or gloves leaves a responder without what they need at the point of use. - **Damage that may not be visible until it matters.** Cracked housings, loose parts, and cables with cuts, exposed or broken wires, or excessive wear can all stop the device working. Checking these things on a schedule catches the problem while there is still time to fix it.

What a good AED check covers

A complete inspection covers the device, its consumables, and its surroundings: 1. **Details.** When the inspection was conducted, who prepared it, and the location of the unit. 2. **Readiness.** The green status indicator displays correctly, and the AED powers on and off with the indicator confirming readiness. 3. **Consumables.** Electrode pads and batteries are within their expiration date and replaced if expired; electrodes are connected to the AED input connector and sealed in their original packaging. 4. **Supplies.** A razor, CPR mask, gloves, and extra batteries are available for immediate use, and the number of spare electrode pad sets on-site is recorded. 5. **Physical condition.** The unit is clean, undamaged, and free of excessive wear; the housing has no cracks or loose parts; all cables are free of cracks, cuts, and exposed or broken wires. 6. **Assessment and record.** A rating of the unit's overall condition, any additional notes or observations, a signature, and the inspection start and end dates and finish time. Each check is answered Pass, Fail, or N/A, so a failed item stands out and can be acted on.

How to carry out the inspection

Work through the checklist in order: 1. Record the inspection details — the date, who prepared it, and the location of the AED. 2. Confirm the green status indicator displays correctly, and power the AED on and off to verify it reports readiness. 3. Check the expiration dates on the electrode pads and batteries, and replace anything that has expired. 4. Confirm the electrode pads are pre-connected to the AED input connector and sealed in their original packaging. 5. Verify the essential supplies are present — razor, CPR mask, gloves, and extra batteries — and note how many spare electrode pad sets are on-site. 6. Examine the unit for cleanliness, damage, and excessive wear, and check the housing for cracks or loose parts. 7. Inspect all cables for cracks, cuts, and exposed or broken wires. 8. Rate the overall condition of the unit, add any notes, sign, and record the inspection start and end dates and the finish time. Inspect the AED frequently, as necessary, based on manufacturer guidelines and organizational policy. Keep the completed record with the unit so its history of checks and replacements is available at the point of use.

Frequently Asked Questions

The checklist covers expiration dates for electrode pads and batteries, confirming the green status indicator shows the unit is ready, confirming electrode pads are pre-connected to the AED input connector, and checking that essential supplies such as a razor, CPR mask, gloves, and extra batteries are available.

An AED only helps when it is ready to use. The checklist directs you to confirm the green status indicator displays correctly, verify that electrode pads and batteries are within their expiration date, and ensure the unit is clean, undamaged, and free of excessive wear. It also asks you to power the AED on and off to confirm the green indicator reports readiness. These checks catch expired pads and batteries or a unit that will not power up before an emergency occurs.

Inspect the AED frequently, as necessary, based on manufacturer guidelines and organizational policy. Use the checklist as the record of each inspection so that the completed checks, the person who prepared them, the location, and the date are all captured together.

The checklist guides you through confirming the green status indicator displays correctly, verifying electrode pads and batteries are within their expiration date, confirming electrode pads are pre-connected to the AED input connector, and checking that essential supplies are available. It then has you examine the unit for cleanliness, damage, and excessive wear, look for cracks or loose parts in the housing, and inspect all cables for cracks, cuts, and exposed or broken wires.

Yes. Electrodes should be connected to the AED and sealed in their original packaging, and you should replace them if they are expired. The checklist also asks you to replace expired batteries and to provide the number of spare electrode pad sets currently available on-site, so supplies are not left below what you need.

The checklist has you inspect all cables for cracks, cuts, and exposed or broken wires, and check the housing for cracks or loose parts. It also has you confirm whether the unit is clean, undamaged, and free of excessive wear and rate the overall condition of the AED unit.

The checklist includes fields to record any additional notes or observations regarding the AED's condition, the number of spare electrode pad sets available on-site, a rating of the unit's overall condition, a signature, and the inspection start and end dates along with the date and time it was finished.

Your organization should set the inspection frequency based on the manufacturer's guidelines and its own policy. Once you know what that interval is, complete the checklist at each interval and keep the finished record with the unit so the history of checks, replacements, and notes is available at the point of use.
Arne Reis
Written by
Arne Reis
Founder

Process optimizer with 25 years of expertise, focused on operational excellence in quality, maintenance, EHS, and commissioning. Emphasizes innovative solutions and top-quality standards.

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