The requirement to equip public-access buildings with an AED

Long a matter of goodwill, equipping premises with defibrillators has become a legal requirement for public-access buildings. In France, since 2020 the question is no longer whether an AED is needed, but where to place it, how to sign it and how to prove it is operational.

What the law says

France's decree of 19 December 2018 (no. 2018-1186) makes an automated external defibrillator mandatory in public-access buildings, phased in according to their category. The aim is simple: that an AED be available wherever the public gathers, and usable by any bystander before the emergency services arrive.

The schedule by building category

The requirement applied in stages:

• category 1 to 3 public-access buildings since 1 January 2020;
• category 4 buildings since 1 January 2021;
• certain category 5 buildings, welcoming at-risk publics, since 1 January 2022.

Beyond these deadlines, an unequipped establishment exposes itself not only to a compliance failure, but above all to a loss of chance in an emergency.

Where to place the AED and how to sign it

An AED is only useful if it is found in seconds. It should be installed in a busy spot, at an accessible height, preferably near the entrance or a central point. Its presence is shown by the standardised green-and-white pictogram, visible from afar, and its location must be known to staff. A cabinet, heated if the AED is outdoors, protects the device without making it hard to reach.

Accessible, known, usable

Compliance is not limited to the device being present. The AED must stay accessible during opening hours, must not be locked away in an office, and staff must know where it is and how to use it. A defibrillator is designed to be used by an untrained bystander, guided by the device's voice, but it still has to be reachable.

Beyond the requirement: a survival issue

Being compliant is good; making the AED a genuinely effective link in the chain of survival is better. That means knowing your fleet precisely, maintaining it, and making it visible, including beyond the establishment's walls.

The operator's liability

Beyond a mere compliance failure, it is the operator's liability that is at stake. If a cardiac arrest occurs in an establishment that should have been equipped and was not, the absence of an AED can be held against them. Conversely, an operator who has installed, maintained and documented their devices shows they took the expected measures. Traceability of the fleet is therefore not just a management convenience, it is also a protection.

How many AEDs and at what distance

The rules set an equipment requirement without imposing a universal numeric coverage: it is up to the operator to judge the number and placement of devices against the size of the establishment, its footfall and the layout of the premises. The right benchmark is access time: no point welcoming the public should be more than a few minutes from an AED. On a large or multi-building site, that means several devices, mapped to avoid blind spots.

Training and raising staff awareness

A defibrillator is designed to be used by an untrained bystander, guided step by step by the device's voice. But the speed of reaction depends heavily on how well staff know it: knowing where the AED is, daring to grab it, and combining it with cardiac massage and the call to emergency services. Regular awareness, even brief, turns a merely compliant device into a collective reflex.

Record and prove compliance with KARTES

KARTES AED records every defibrillator on a map, with its exact location, accessibility, model and the state of its checks. You visualise the coverage of your area or your estate, you identify the uncovered zones, and you produce on demand the compliance state of your fleet. The data serves both compliance and operational effectiveness.

Key points

• France's 2018 decree makes AEDs mandatory in public-access buildings, phased from 2020 to 2022.
• The AED must be accessible, signed with the standardised pictogram and known to staff.
• Compliance is not enough: the AED must be genuinely usable in an emergency.
• A mapped inventory reveals uncovered zones and proves compliance.