How Do You Use an AED Defibrillator in Australia?

To use an AED defibrillator in Australia, turn the device on, expose the person’s chest, attach the two pads to bare skin following the pad diagrams, let the AED analyse the heart rhythm, press the shock button if the device tells you to, and start CPR again straight away. Anyone can use a public AED in an emergency — no training or qualification is legally required — because the device checks the rhythm itself and will only deliver a shock when one is actually needed.

Defibrillation is the last letter of the DRSABCD action plan Australian first aid courses teach, and it is the step most people feel least confident about. This guide walks through how to use an AED defibrillator step by step, the safety points that matter, what changes when the casualty is a child, and where the skill is formally taught. If you are new to resuscitation, start with ALIT’s guide to the steps of CPR for adults; the AED is used alongside CPR, never instead of it.

Where the AED fits in DRSABCD

In the DRSABCD action plan, the final D stands for defibrillation. Once compressions are underway and help is coming, the next priority is an automated external defibrillator. An AED is a portable device that checks the heart’s electrical rhythm through the pads and, if it detects a rhythm that will respond to a shock, charges and delivers it. The goal is simple: get the heart back to an organised rhythm as early as possible, because survival from cardiac arrest falls sharply with every minute of delay before defibrillation.

An AED cannot restart every stopped heart. It is designed for shockable rhythms, which is exactly why the device analyses first and prompts you afterwards — it makes the clinical decision, not you.

The steps for using an AED

Step 1: Call Triple Zero and send someone for the AED

The moment a person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call 000 or put another bystander on the phone, and send a second person to fetch the nearest AED. If you are alone, call first, put the phone on speaker and start compressions; only leave the person to fetch an AED yourself if one is very close. CPR should already be running by the time the defibrillator arrives.

Step 2: Turn the AED on and listen

Open the case and press the power button — some models switch on when the lid opens. From that moment the device speaks: it tells you to call emergency services if you have not, and it talks you through every following step. Do not let the voice prompts rush you out of good CPR; they run in sequence.

Step 3: Prepare the chest

Expose the chest completely — cut clothing away if you have scissors. Dry wet skin with a towel or clothing, because moisture lets the shock current travel across the skin instead of through the heart. If the chest is very hairy and the pads will not stick, press each pad down firmly, then peel it off quickly to remove hair, and apply a fresh pad. Do not place pads directly over a visible implanted device or a medication patch — move the pad a hand-width away, and remove a patch with gloves if you can.

Step 4: Attach the pads

Take out the two pads and plug the cable into the AED if it is not already connected. Peel one pad and place it below the person’s right collarbone, on the upper chest; peel the other and place it on the person’s left side, a few centimetres below the armpit. Every pad carries a diagram showing its own position — follow the pictures rather than memory. Press each pad down firmly, edge to edge on bare skin.

Step 5: Let the AED analyse

Stop compressions and make sure nobody is touching the person while the device reads the rhythm — movement interferes with the analysis. This takes only a few seconds. The AED will then announce one of two things: that a shock is advised, or that no shock is advised.

Step 6: Deliver the shock if the device instructs you to

If a shock is advised, say “stand clear” loudly, make sure no one is touching the person, and press the flashing shock button. Fully automatic devices deliver the shock themselves after a countdown — you still ensure everyone is clear. If no shock is advised, go straight to the next step without switching the device off.

Step 7: Start CPR again immediately

The biggest single mistake bystanders make is pausing after a shock. Resume compressions and rescue breaths at thirty to two the moment the shock is delivered, and keep going for about two minutes until the AED asks you to stop and re-analyse, or until the person shows signs of life, or until paramedics take over. The AED will keep prompting you through each cycle — leave it attached the whole time.

Safety points worth knowing

A few practical rules cover almost every situation. Do not use an AED while the person is lying in water — move them to dry ground and dry the chest first. Do not deliver a shock in an atmosphere with obvious flammable vapour. Remove rings of metal jewellery only if it delays the pads — metal piercings under a pad edge are a reason to shift the pad slightly, not to stop. And never let the shock path cross anyone touching the person, including a rescuer kneeling on wet ground.

Can an untrained person use an AED?

Yes. Australian public health guidance is clear that you do not need training to use an AED — the device analyses the rhythm and decides whether a shock is indicated, and Triple Zero call-takers can also talk a bystander through it. What training changes is speed and confidence: a person who has opened a trainer AED, attached pads to a manikin and practised the shock-and-resume sequence delivers it faster and starts compressions again without hesitation. That is why AED operation is an assessed element of the nationally recognised unit HLTAID009 Provide CPR, which ALIT delivers as a 3.5-hour course on its West Melbourne campus with weekly intakes. You can check what the full program includes in ALIT’s guide to what a CPR course covers.

To find a public defibrillator near you, most Australian states run an AED registry — Ambulance Victoria, for example, lets owners register devices so call-takers and responders can locate the nearest one. Knowing where your workplace, gym or shopping centre keeps its AED before an emergency is one of the simplest pieces of preparation available.

Using an AED on a child

Where paediatric pads or a child-mode attenuator are available, use them; they reduce the shock energy to a level suited to a small body. If they are not available, Australian resuscitation guidance accepts using a standard AED with adult pads on a child, pad placement adjusted so the pads do not touch each other. For infants, seek immediate guidance from Triple Zero while starting CPR. A shockable rhythm needs a shock regardless of age, and doing nothing is the only wrong choice.

FAQ

Will an AED shock someone who does not need it?

No. The device analyses the heart rhythm and only delivers a shock when it detects a shockable rhythm. If the rhythm does not call for a shock, the AED says so and tells you to continue CPR.

Can I hurt the person by using an AED?

A person in cardiac arrest is clinically dead — an effective shock is their best chance, and the shock cannot make that situation worse. The real risk is to bystanders, which is why everyone must stand clear when a shock is delivered.

What if the AED says no shock is advised?

Continue CPR and follow the device’s prompts. Some rhythms do not respond to shocks, and high-quality compressions remain the person’s best chance until paramedics arrive.

How often should I refresh AED and CPR training?

The Australian Resuscitation Council recommends refreshing CPR skills every twelve months, and AED use is refreshed as part of that training. If you obtained your CPR statement of attainment some time ago, book a refresher before your certificate is next needed.

Related ALIT guides: HLTAID009 Provide CPR course details and the adult compression to breath ratio explained.