AED Maintenance Checklist for MCSTs and Facility Managers

An AED can sit untouched for years and still fail on the one day it matters. Pads dry out. Batteries age. Cabinets get blocked during renovation. Nobody notices the red status indicator because everybody assumes the maintenance contractor checked it.

For an MCST or facility manager, AED readiness is not a purchase. It is a small asset-management programme with a named owner, recurring inspections, expiry tracking, fault closure, and drills.

This guide provides a working checklist for Singapore buildings. Always follow the manual for your exact AED model, supplier instructions, and any legal, CERT, insurer, or sector requirements that apply to your premises.

What AED maintenance actually covers

AED maintenance has five parts:

Device readiness: the AED passes its self-tests and displays the correct ready indicator.
Consumables: electrode pads and batteries are installed correctly, undamaged, and within their usable dates.
Physical access: the cabinet, signs, alarm, lighting, and route remain usable.
Records: every inspection, expiry, fault, replacement, and use is traceable.
Response readiness: staff can find the device, start CPR, call 995, and bring the AED to the patient.

The AED's automatic self-test only covers what that model is designed to test. It does not notice a cabinet hidden behind event furniture, an expired accessory kit, a missing pair of scissors, or a security door that now locks at 10 p.m.

Assign one accountable AED programme owner

Name a person, not just a department. For a condo this may be the condominium manager, managing agent, or security supervisor. For a larger commercial site it may be the facility manager, Fire Safety Manager, workplace safety lead, or a designated AED coordinator.

The owner should:

Maintain the device inventory and inspection schedule
Assign a trained backup for leave and staff turnover
Monitor pad and battery replacement dates
Close faults rather than merely recording them
Coordinate the supplier after use, recall, or failed self-test
Keep location and access information current
Arrange CPR-AED training and drills
Review the programme at least annually

An outsourced maintenance contract helps, but it does not answer the daily question: who on site notices that the cabinet alarm is chirping or the AED has disappeared?

Build an AED asset register before the first inspection

Create one record per device. At minimum, capture:

Building, block, tower, floor, and exact landmark
AED brand, model, serial number, and asset number
Supplier and service contact
Installation or commissioning date
Adult pad lot and expiry date
Paediatric pad or child-key details and expiry date, if applicable
Battery type, install date, use-by date, or manufacturer replacement date
Cabinet type, alarm battery, and access method
Inspection frequency from the manufacturer manual
Named programme owner and backup
SCDF public-access registry status, if applicable
Last inspection, next inspection, open fault, and fault owner

Photograph the installed cabinet and its surroundings. The photo gives future inspectors a reference when renovation, furniture, or signage changes the location.

Monthly AED visual inspection checklist

The American Heart Association publishes a general monthly AED monitoring checklist. Adapt it to your device manual instead of copying it blindly.

For each AED, record the date and inspector initials while checking:

Device and status

AED is present at the recorded location
Readiness indicator shows the model's normal ready state
No warning light, red cross, error message, beep, or chirp
Case, handle, screen, connector, and cables show no damage or contamination
Device is clean and dry
Serial number matches the asset register

Do not switch on a live AED merely to prove it works unless the manufacturer specifically requires a manual test. Many models self-test automatically, and unnecessary activation can consume battery capacity or create event data. Read the manual.

Electrode pads

Adult pads are connected or stored exactly as the manufacturer requires
Foil packet is sealed, flat, and undamaged
Pad expiry date has not passed
Spare pad set is present and in date, if your programme requires one
Paediatric pads or child mode are available where children regularly use the premises
Pad model is compatible with this exact AED

Never open the pad packet during an inspection. Exposure begins degrading the adhesive gel. Pads are generally single-use and must be replaced after deployment, even if no shock was delivered.

Battery

Battery is installed correctly
Status indicator does not show low battery or service required
Printed use-by date has not passed, where the battery has one
Install date and manufacturer replacement date are recorded
Spare battery is present, in date, and stored correctly if required by the programme

Battery labelling varies. Some show an expiry or install-by date; others use an installation date plus a stated standby life. Do not invent an expiry by applying another model's battery lifespan.

Cabinet, access, and signage

Cabinet opens immediately without an unavailable key or code
Cabinet alarm and alarm battery work, if fitted
Cabinet is securely mounted and undamaged
Nothing blocks the door, handle, sign, or approach
AED and directional signs remain visible from normal travel routes
Lighting works during the building's operating hours
Location remains accessible at night, on weekends, and on public holidays when people are present
Temperature and environmental conditions remain within manufacturer limits

For outdoor, poolside, or non-air-conditioned locations, check heat, humidity, dust, and water exposure particularly carefully. A weather-resistant cabinet is not automatically a temperature-controlled one.

Rescue kit

Trauma scissors
Disposable razor
Dry towel or absorbent cloth
Nitrile or other suitable non-latex gloves
CPR barrier mask, if included in the programme
Incident form and simple CPR-AED instructions
All dated or sealed supplies remain usable

Do not let the rescue kit obscure the AED or slow removal from its case.

Pad expiry: track dates before the packet expires

Electrode pads contain conductive adhesive gel. Over time it can dry out, which can stop the pads sticking properly or compromise analysis and shock delivery.

Good expiry control:

Enter every pad expiry date in the asset register.
Set advance reminders, for example at 180, 90, and 30 days.
Order replacements early enough for supplier lead time.
Confirm model compatibility and expiry before accepting delivery.
Replace the pack before its printed expiry, then update the register.
Dispose of the old pack according to supplier and local waste guidance.

Do not move expired pads into a cabinet as an "emergency spare." That creates the exact confusion the inspection system is meant to prevent.

Replace pads immediately after any use. Opening the packet or attaching pads to a person makes them used consumables, whether or not the AED advised a shock.

Battery checks: the green light is necessary but not enough

The status indicator is the fastest readiness signal, but battery management also needs dates and replacement planning.

For each model, document:

How the ready indicator looks
What low-battery and fault signals look or sound like
Whether the battery has an expiry, install-by date, or install-date service life
Whether routine manual testing is required
Expected replacement after use or a specified number of shocks
Storage rules for any spare battery

If the device reports a battery fault, follow the troubleshooting instructions and contact the supplier if it does not return to ready status. Do not leave a red indicator with a note saying "vendor informed." Provide a temporary replacement or direct staff to the verified backup AED until the fault is closed.

Keep an inspection log that proves corrective action

A row of monthly initials is not enough when three entries say "pad expiring" and nobody ordered a replacement.

Each inspection record should contain:

Device and location
Inspection date and time
Inspector name or initials
Ready indicator result
Adult and paediatric pad expiry dates
Battery expiry or planned replacement date
Cabinet, alarm, signage, access, and rescue-kit results
Fault or observation
Immediate risk control, such as directing staff to a backup AED
Corrective action owner and due date
Date the fault was closed and who verified it

Store records where the MCST or facility team can retrieve them after staff changes. A digital maintenance system is useful for reminders and photos, but a tag at the cabinet can also show staff when the last check occurred. If you use both, define which is the official record.

Retain supplier invoices, replacement records, manuals, recall notices, software updates, training records, drill reports, and post-use reports with the asset file.

What to do when an AED fails inspection

Treat any non-ready status, expired pad, missing battery, damaged cable, or inaccessible cabinet as a readiness failure.

Mark the device clearly as unavailable if it cannot be used.
Inform security, reception, responders, and the facility team.
Identify and communicate the nearest verified backup.
Contact the supplier or service provider.
Set an owner and deadline for repair or replacement.
Confirm the unit returns to its correct ready state.
Record the fault, temporary control, work done, and closure.
Update registry details if the device will be unavailable or relocated for a meaningful period.

Do not leave an unusable AED displayed as though it is ready. That sends a runner to a dead end.

Post-use reset: restore the device immediately

After any real deployment, even when no shock was delivered:

Notify the AED programme owner and supplier
Replace opened or used electrode pads
Check or replace the battery as the model requires
Replace scissors, gloves, razor, towel, and barrier device
Clean and disinfect the unit according to the manual
Inspect cables and connectors
Download or preserve event data if requested by SCDF, medical oversight, insurer, or the organisation's incident process
Complete the incident and maintenance records
Return the AED to the cabinet only after it shows ready
Restock any temporary backup used during the reset
Debrief responders and offer appropriate support

Keep post-incident handling confidential. Maintenance records need operational facts, not unnecessary personal medical details.

Update the SCDF registry when details change

SCDF and the Singapore Heart Foundation maintain the national public-access AED registry used by myResponder. If your device is publicly accessible, register it using the current contact on SCDF's AED registry page.

Review the registry entry when:

A device is installed, replaced, or removed
It moves to another floor or landmark
Access hours change
Renovation makes it temporarily unavailable
The building or block name changes
Contact responsibility changes

AEDLocator processes SCDF public-access data, but it is not the registry owner. Our methodology explains the source and update limits.

Run AED drills that test the building, not only CPR technique

Certification teaches the skill. A drill tests whether your building lets people use it.

The AHA's AED drill guidance recommends at least one drill a year and considering multiple drills. Large, multi-tower, high-turnover, or shift-operated premises may need more.

Use an AED trainer and manikin. Do not attach a live AED to a manikin or use live pads for practice.

A useful drill starts from a realistic collapse point and records:

Time to recognise unresponsiveness and abnormal breathing
Time to initiate the simulated 995 call
Time to start CPR
Time to retrieve the trainer AED
Whether the runner used the correct cabinet and route
Time to attach training pads and reach simulated analysis
Whether someone met and directed the ambulance
Communication failures, locked doors, lift delays, and crowd control

Never place a real 995 call during a drill unless it has been formally arranged with the relevant authority. Clearly mark the exercise as a drill.

Rotate locations and shifts. A successful lobby drill at 2 p.m. says little about a collapse on the top floor at midnight.

After the drill, assign every finding an owner and due date. "Security was confused" is an observation. "Update security post order by Friday and brief all four shifts" is corrective action.

Suggested maintenance calendar

Every month, or more often if the manufacturer requires

Complete and log the visual inspection
Verify pad and battery dates
Check cabinet access, alarm, signs, lighting, and supplies
Close or escalate faults

Every quarter

Review items expiring within the next six months
Confirm security and reception know the location and backup
Check the registry listing and operating hours
Review staff and contractor changes

At least annually

Review the whole AED programme
Run and evaluate a retrieval-and-response drill
Inspect signage from all approach routes
Review manufacturer notices, recalls, and software updates
Verify CPR-AED training coverage across shifts
Reassess whether device locations still meet retrieval-time needs

Immediately after use, fault, relocation, or renovation

Inspect, restore, document, communicate, and update the registry as needed

These intervals are programme defaults, not permission to ignore stricter manufacturer or regulatory requirements.

MCST and facility manager handover checklist

When the managing agent, facility contractor, security provider, or committee changes, hand over:

Do a joint physical inspection during handover. A spreadsheet saying "Level 1 lobby" cannot reveal that the lobby was renamed, the cabinet moved, or the sign vanished.

FAQ: maintaining an AED in a Singapore building

How often should an AED be inspected?

Follow the manufacturer manual. A documented monthly visual check is a practical baseline used in AHA programme materials, with more frequent checks where the model, environment, regulation, or risk requires them.

How do I know whether AED pads have expired?

Read the date printed on the sealed pad packet and record it in the asset register. Replace pads before that date and immediately after the packet is opened or used. Never open a packet just to inspect the pads.

Does the AED self-test mean no manual inspection is needed?

No. Self-tests vary by model and cannot verify cabinet access, signs, expiry of every accessory, environmental damage, or whether someone moved the device. Inspect the complete installation and check the model's readiness indicator.

Should we turn on the AED during monthly checks?

Only if the manufacturer manual tells you to perform that test. Many devices run automatic self-tests. Unnecessary activation may consume battery power or generate event records.

Who should maintain a condo AED?

The MCST or managing agent should assign a named programme owner and backup, even when a vendor performs scheduled servicing. Security and facility staff should know how to report a fault immediately.

How often should MCSTs run AED drills?

At least annually is a reasonable programme baseline, with additional drills for large sites, multiple shifts, staff turnover, or identified weaknesses. Test different towers, floors, access conditions, and times using a trainer AED.