Roof tiles firm invests in staff’s wellbeing by buying defibrillators
A BURTON-BASED maker of roof tiles has demonstrated its concern for its workforce’s wellbeing and safety by buying defibrillators for its three sites.
Russell Roof Tiles, the largest independent manufacturer of concrete derivatives in the UK pitched roofing market, employs about 150 staff across its two plants in Burton and one in Lochmaben, Scotland.
A defibrillator is a medical device used to help those who have suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. It can send a shock or defibrillation to the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.
The decision to buy the lifesaving machines was taken after one of Russell Roof Tiles’ staff suffered a heart attack in the workplace.
Interest in defibrillators increased after Danish footballer Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this year during the early stages of the Euros football tournament.
Following Eriksen’s collapse, the British Heart Foundation had a surge of interest in people wanting to find out more about CPR and defibrillators. Visits to the charity’s How to Do CPR web page rose by nearly 2,400 per cent compared with the previous week.
Andrew Hayward, managing director at Russell Roof Tiles, said: “The health and safety and wellbeing of our staff is an utmost priority for us and the three new defibrillators will ensure we’re doing all we can to support our employees.
“We saw during the Euro 2021 football tournament, when Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch, the important role these life-saving machines can play in having a positive outcome when an incident does occur and that has been a real catalyst to purchasing these units.”
Bruce Laidlaw, operations director at the company, added: “It is a magnificent moment to see Russell Roof
Tiles purchasing this life-saving equipment and investing further in its employees.”