Defibrillator end of life: recycling and operator obligations

A well maintained AED (defibrillator, DAE in French) works for eight to ten years, sometimes longer. Its two consumables age faster, though: electrodes expire after two to five years depending on the model, and the battery wears out after three to five years. Past these deadlines, or as soon as a self test reports a persistent fault, the unit must be pulled from service rather than left in place under a cloud of doubt about whether it still works.

Obsolescence can also come from the manufacturer: some older models no longer receive updates and spare parts are no longer available. In that case, replacing the whole unit is a better option than artificially extending its life with incompatible or dubious second hand consumables.

A hard knock, a fall from the wall cabinet or water damage can also end a unit's life prematurely, regardless of its age. The self test does not always catch this kind of mechanical damage, which is why a regular visual check of the case matters, in addition to reading the indicator lights.

A retired defibrillator must never stay displayed in its cabinet as if it were operational: someone on site could grab it in an emergency believing it works. It must be removed from its mount as soon as it is taken out of service, or clearly marked as unavailable while the replacement is pending.

Throwing the unit, the electrodes or the battery in with household waste is also to be avoided. The case contains electronic components, and the battery, most often lithium based, poses a fire risk if crushed or punctured in a regular waste collection truck.

Another common mistake is keeping a retired unit in a cupboard, unlabelled, with the idea of using it as a backup one day. A decommissioned AED left lying around is almost always forgotten, so it is better to arrange for its removal as soon as the replacement is in place.

Each component follows a different channel. The electronic case falls under waste electrical and electronic equipment: it can be dropped at a recycling centre or taken back directly by the provider installing the new unit. The battery must be separated and taken to a dedicated collection point for batteries and accumulators, at a recycling centre or with certain electronics retailers, because of the risk associated with lithium. Used electrodes, once their gel has dried out and they carry no electrical risk, are generally treated as ordinary packaging waste, unless the manufacturer's instructions state otherwise.

A defibrillator that is removed, replaced or moved must be reported in Geo'DAE, the national registry of defibrillators, where declaration is mandatory. An entry pointing to a unit that no longer exists could mislead a bystander or emergency responders looking for the nearest AED.

The site's safety logbook must also record the removal date, the reason, and the commissioning date of the new unit where applicable. This traceability is part of the operator's maintenance obligations under article R. 5212-25 of the French public health code (Code de la santé publique).

This update only takes a few minutes, but it prevents a lasting gap between what a bystander or a locator app shows and the actual situation on site. An operator managing several sites should handle this at the same time as the physical replacement, so it does not get forgotten afterwards.

Replacement should be planned before the unit actually fails. Tracking self test alerts and the expiry dates printed on the electrodes and battery makes it possible to order the replacement in time, without leaving the site unprotected.

To avoid the upfront cost of a full purchase, rental, starting at 50 euros excl. VAT per month with maintenance included, covers exactly this renewal of consumables and the replacement of the unit at end of life. For a purchase, the warranty runs for five years and delivery takes two to five business days, with a quote provided within 24 hours.