CPR and AED Awareness Week is held June 1–7 every year to show how many lives can be saved when more people know cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). The American Heart Association (AHA) leads the week. AHA worked with the American Red Cross and the National Safety Council to seek federal recognition, and Congress passed a resolution in December 2007 setting aside June 1–7 each year.
For employers, the week is a reminder that sudden cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, including at work, and that the minutes before emergency responders arrive often decide the outcome.
When Is CPR and AED Awareness Week in 2027?
CPR and AED Awareness Week 2027 runs from Tuesday, June 1 to Monday, June 7, 2027. The dates are fixed: the week is always June 1–7, whatever day of the week June 1 falls on.
The week falls at the start of the National Safety Council's National Safety Month, so many employers use it to open a month of safety activities with hands-on emergency training.
Why It Matters at Work
According to the American Heart Association's CPR facts and statistics, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital each year in the United States. AHA also notes that if CPR is performed immediately, it can double or triple the chance of survival from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Most of those cardiac arrests happen at home, but workplaces are not immune. The same AHA page cites OSHA's figure of about 10,000 cardiac arrests in the workplace each year in the United States, and reports survey findings that half of US workers cannot locate an AED at work.
That gap is something employers can close. A trained coworker who recognizes cardiac arrest, calls for help, starts CPR and brings the AED can keep a person alive until emergency medical services arrive. Remote sites, large facilities and job sites far from emergency services have the most to gain, because response times there can be longer.
How to Take Part
AHA's CPR and AED Awareness Week page offers free printable resources such as infographics, fact sheets and toolkits, including materials in several languages, plus links to Heartsaver courses and a tool to find training near you. Ideas for your workplace or fleet:
- Schedule CPR and AED training. Book a certified course for designated responders, and consider short awareness sessions for everyone else.
- Map your AEDs. Confirm where every AED is, post clear signs and add locations to site maps and orientation materials.
- Inspect your AEDs. Check status indicators, battery and pad expiration dates, and replace anything out of date.
- Run a cardiac arrest drill. Practice calling 911, retrieving the AED and directing responders to the right door.
- Review your emergency plan. Make sure your emergency action plan names who responds to medical emergencies on each shift and site.
- Check first aid coverage. Confirm each shift and remote crew has a trained responder and stocked first aid supplies.
- Include drivers and field crews. Remind mobile workers how to give their exact location to dispatchers.
Toolbox Talk: Responding to Sudden Cardiac Arrest
A 5-minute talk a supervisor can read out:
- Know the signs. A person in cardiac arrest suddenly collapses, does not respond and is not breathing normally. Gasping is not normal breathing.
- Call and send for the AED. Call 911 right away and send someone to get the nearest AED. Point out where our AEDs are located.
- Start CPR. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Do not wait for someone else to start.
- Use the AED as soon as it arrives. Turn it on and follow the voice prompts. The device tells you what to do and only shocks if a shock is needed.
- Keep going. Continue CPR and follow the AED until emergency responders take over.
- Get trained. Tell your supervisor if you want to take a CPR and AED course. The more trained people on each shift, the better.
Discussion question: If someone collapsed right here, who would call 911 and how long would it take to get the AED?
Related Requirements
OSHA's medical services and first aid standard, 29 CFR 1910.151, requires that when there is no infirmary, clinic or hospital in near proximity to the workplace, a person or persons must be adequately trained to render first aid, and adequate first aid supplies must be readily available. OSHA's standards do not generally require AEDs, but CPR training is often part of a workplace first aid program, and some industry standards and state laws add requirements. See our summary of First Aid Requirements for details.
How SMS360 Helps
Keeping enough trained responders on every shift is a tracking problem as much as a training problem. The SMS360 Training Management module lets you schedule CPR, AED and first aid courses, record completions and certificates, and see who is due for recertification before cards expire. You can store training records in one place, view coverage by site or shift on dashboards and access records from a mobile device, so you know who can respond when it counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is CPR and AED Awareness Week 2027?
CPR and AED Awareness Week 2027 runs from June 1 to June 7, 2027. The week is held on the same dates every year. It opens the month of June, which is also National Safety Month.
Who started CPR and AED Awareness Week?
The American Heart Association led the effort, working in coalition with the American Red Cross and the National Safety Council. Congress passed a resolution on December 13, 2007, designating June 1–7 each year as National CPR and AED Awareness Week.
Does OSHA require AEDs in the workplace?
OSHA's general industry standards do not generally require employers to have AEDs, but OSHA does require trained first aid responders when medical help is not in near proximity. Many employers add AEDs and CPR training to their first aid programs, and some state laws or industry rules have their own requirements.
