An AED on the wall isn’t a guarantee, it’s a piece of equipment that requires periodic verification to stay rescue-ready. The good news: AED inspection is one of the lowest-effort safety tasks in any facility. The bad news: it’s also one of the most-skipped, because nobody owns it by default, and there’s no built-in consequence for missing a month.
This guide is the practical inspection checklist organized by cadence, what to do daily, what to do monthly, what to verify quarterly, and what to review annually. Each task is designed to be performed by a non-technical staff member in under 30 seconds (daily) to 30 minutes (annual). A printable PDF is available for binder filing.
Replace OnSite pads at AED Leader, $99
Why cadence-based inspection works
Different AED failure modes surface on different timelines. A dead battery shows up in 24 hours via the self-test indicator. A pad expiration drifts in over 2 years. A theft event can be missed for months without a documented monthly check. Cadence-based inspection layers these timeframes so no failure can hide.
| Cadence | Time required | Catches | Best performed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | 30 seconds | Status indicator failure, battery depletion, missing device, broken cabinet | Reception / janitorial/passing staff |
| Monthly | 2 minutes | Pad/battery expiration approaching, cabinet damage, signage degradation | Designated AED program owner |
| Quarterly | 10 minutes | Upcoming expirations 6 months out, training certificate currency, registration status | EHS / facilities manager |
| Annual | 30 minutes | Full program review, CERP update, insurance broker check, audit-readiness | EHS lead + HR + counsel |
| Post-deployment | 1 hour | Re-mount readiness after the AED was actually used in an event | Designated maintainer + EMS coordination |
Inspection found an expired pad or battery?
Match the part number to your device before you order. Philips, ZOLL, HeartSine and Defibtech parts are not interchangeable, and the wrong cartridge is the most common ordering mistake.
All models: pads and battery costs · Philips parts · ZOLL parts
Daily inspection (30 seconds)
Who does it
Anyone who passes the AED daily, reception, security, and custodial. Best assigned to a role that already walks past the AED, not a special trip.
What to check
- ☐ Status indicator visible from intended viewing distance (10+ feet)
- ☐ Indicator shows green / “ready” status (no red X, no chirp, no blinking warning)
- ☐ Cabinet is present, undamaged, and the door is closed
- ☐ AED is physically inside the cabinet (visible through the window)
- ☐ Signage is intact and clearly visible
- ☐ No obstructions blocking access (rolling carts, decorations, etc.)
If anything fails
Notify the designated AED program owner immediately. Most issues caught at daily cadence are battery-related (10-minute fix) or signage/obstruction issues (5-minute fix).
Monthly inspection (2 minutes, documented)
Who does it
Designated AED program owner, by name, with a documented backup. The documented part matters: a program with no named owner consistently lapses.
What to check & log
- ☐ Status indicator color photographed for log
- ☐ Pad expiration date (visible through cabinet window or recorded from device)
- ☐ Battery indicator (most AEDs show separate battery status)
- ☐ Cabinet alarm test (open the door briefly to verify alarm sounds; some staff prefer monthly, others quarterly)
- ☐ Cabinet integrity (no cracks, mounting solid, hinges working)
- ☐ Signage condition (no fading, no damage)
- ☐ Surrounding area clear (no recent obstructions added)
- ☐ Maintenance log signed and dated
Documentation
Log in to a binder, shared-drive folder, or AED fleet management software. Best practice: photograph the status indicator and timestamp it. Photo timestamps create a defensible visual record.
Quarterly readiness check (10 minutes)
Who does it
EHS lead or facilities manager. Quarterly is when you look ahead 6 months at the entire program.
What to verify
- ☐ Pad expirations within the next 6 months → schedule replacement order
- ☐ Battery expirations within the next 6 months → schedule replacement order
- ☐ CPR/AED training certifications expiring within 6 months → schedule recertification
- ☐ State EMS registration status (renewal due?)
- ☐ PulsePoint / national registry listing is accurate
- ☐ Designated responder list current (no recent departures)
- ☐ Outdoor cabinet heater operational (if applicable, especially pre-winter)
- ☐ AED maintenance log retention current (3+ years on file)
Annual program audit (30 minutes)
Who does it
EHS lead + HR officer + (where applicable) legal counsel. Annual is the strategic review of the entire AED program.
What to review
- ☐ Written Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP) , update if needed
- ☐ All trained responder records current
- ☐ Self-audit against the 47-point compliance checklist
- ☐ Insurance broker conversation: premium credit applied, documentation requirements met
- ☐ Annual emergency response drill conducted and documented
- ☐ Device replacement cycle reviewed (AEDs over 8 years old assessed for replacement)
- ☐ AED placement reviewed against current facility layout (new construction, room changes)
- ☐ Recall database checked for any active recalls on owned models (see Recall Tracker)
Post-deployment re-mount checklist
If your AED was actually used on a patient, survived or not , it requires a full reset before re-mounting:
After any deployment, before remounting
- ☐ Replace pads (used pads cannot be reused)
- ☐ Verify battery indicator, replace if depleted by deployment
- ☐ Download event data from the device (most modern AEDs log the event)
- ☐ File post-deployment report with state EMS or DPH (many states require)
- ☐ Update maintenance log with deployment date and consumable replacement
- ☐ Notify insurance broker (some carriers want documentation)
- ☐ Conduct staff debrief / lessons-learned
- ☐ Re-mount in cabinet; verify status indicator green
Printable version
Print the daily, monthly, quarterly and annual checklists on this page for binder filing, or copy them into a shared drive for your team.
What good inspection logs look like
✓ Audit-ready inspection logs show
- Monthly entries with no gaps
- Named, dated, signed by maintainer
- Status indicator photograph timestamped
- Pad and battery expiration dates recorded
- Action notes when issues are found and resolved
- 3+ years retained on file
Replacing your AED pads or battery
AED pads and batteries expire on a fixed schedule whether the device is ever used or not, and they are the single most common reason an AED fails when it is needed. In the largest published analysis of FDA-reported AED events, 40,787 cases, batteries accounted for 23.2 per cent of failures and pads and connectors for 23.7 per cent, so 46.9 per cent of all AED failures are consumables (DeLuca et al., Annals of Emergency Medicine, 2012, PMID 21872969). Below is every current replacement part with its price and service life, verified against seller product data on 12 September 2026.
| Model | Adult pads | Battery | Pediatric option | 10 year consumable cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips HeartStart OnSite | M5071A $99.00, 2 years | M5070A $249.00, 4 years | Separate M5072A cartridge, prescription only | About $894 |
| Philips HeartStart FRx | SMART Pads II 989803139261 $89.00, 2 years | M5070A $249.00, 4 years | Infant/Child Key $139.00, reusable | About $854 |
| ZOLL AED Plus | CPR-D Padz 8900-0800-01 $230.00, 5 years | Lithium set of 10 $100.00, 5 years | Pedi-padz II $155.00, 2 years | About $330, the lowest we track |
| ZOLL AED 3 | CPR Uni-padz 8900-000280-01 $234.00, 5 years | 8000-000696 $201.00, 5 years | None needed, Uni-padz cover children | About $435 |
| Defibtech Lifeline | DDP-100 $75.15 | DBP-1400, part DCF-200 $229.10 | DDP-200P $130.25 | About $530 |
| Defibtech Lifeline VIEW | DDP-2001 $83.05 | DCF-2003 $240.45 | DDP-2002 $136.40 | About $813 |
| HeartSine Samaritan PAD | Pad-Pak-01 $236.00, pads and battery in one cartridge | Included in the Pad-Pak, there is no separate battery | Pediatric Pad-Pak PAD-PAK-02 $279.00 | About $472 |
| Cardiac Science Powerheart G5 | XELAED001C $88.00 | XBTAED001A $495.00, 4 years | XELAED003C $127.00 | About $1,342, the highest we track |
| Physio-Control LIFEPAK CR2 | Quik-Step 11101-000021 $196.00, adult and child in one set | LIFEPAK CR2 lithium battery $341.00, about 4 years | None needed, the Quik-Step set covers children | Not published per part |
Prices verified against the public product data of AED Leader on 30 September 2026. Service life is the manufacturer figure where one is published; where it is not, check the expiry date printed on the part itself. Ten year consumable cost is our own calculation from those part prices and service lives.
Three things owners get wrong
- Buying the wrong Philips pad. The FRx uses SMART Pads II, part 989803139261. SMART Pads III belong to the FR3, a different device. The OnSite uses M5071A and the two are not interchangeable.
- Assuming the pediatric part is optional. On a ZOLL AED Plus, Pedi-padz II cost $155.00 and last two years, which is about $775 across a ten year life. On a ZOLL AED 3 or a LIFEPAK CR2 the pads already cover children and that cost is zero.
- Tracking the wrong date. HeartSine combines the pads and battery into one Pad-Pak cartridge, so there is a single expiry to track. Every other model here has two parts on two separate clocks.
Full replacement schedule by model is on our AED pads and batteries page. If you are still choosing a device, the ten year running cost is usually a bigger number than the discount you are negotiating: see every AED brand ranked by price and ten year cost.
Recertified prices across all seven models
Recertified units are the same models under the same FDA premarket approvals, restored, tested and sold with a minimum three year warranty.
| Model | New | Recertified | You keep | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips HeartStart OnSite | $1,589 | $875 | $714 (45%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
| Philips HeartStart FRx | $2,099 | $875 | $1,224 (58%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
| ZOLL AED Plus | $2,082 | $875 | $1,207 (58%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
| ZOLL AED 3 | $2,399 | $1,150 | $1,249 (52%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
| HeartSine Samaritan PAD 350P | $1,411 | $875 | $536 (38%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
| HeartSine Samaritan PAD 450P | $1,761 | $875 | $886 (50%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
| Cardiac Science Powerheart G5 | $2,157 | $1,225 | $932 (43%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
Prices verified 30 September 2026 against the public product data of both stores. Both list identical recertified prices, so buy from whichever fits your order size: AED Leader for one to four units, Response Ready for five or more and for compliance and fleet programmes. New prices are the AED Leader list price on the same date.
The honest risk. A recertified AED is a used device. The three year minimum warranty is what makes the saving worth taking. Read recertified versus new and how to choose a refurbished AED before you decide.
✗ Weak inspection logs show
- “Started 3 months ago” or sporadic entries
- Unsigned or unnamed entries
- No record of pad/battery expiration tracking
- No documentation of issues or resolutions
- Logs are stored only on one personal computer
The two parts an inspection fails on, and what they cost
An AED fails an inspection for one of two reasons: expired pads or an expired battery. Both are dated parts with a fixed replacement interval, so the failure is predictable and cheap to avoid. Prices verified 22 September 2026.
| Device | Part | Life | Price | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips HeartStart OnSite and Home | M5071A SMART pads cartridge | 2 years from manufacture | $99.00 | Check price at AED Leader or Response Ready |
| Philips OnSite, Home and FRx | M5070A battery | 4 years installed, 5 on the shelf | $249.00 | Check price at AED Leader or Response Ready |
| HeartSine samaritan 350P, 360P, 450P | Pad-Pak 01, pads and battery in one | 4 years from manufacture | $236.00 | Check price at AED Leader or Response Ready |
| Any device | AED inspection tag, 5 pack | n/a | $29.71 | Check price at AED Leader or Response Ready |
Order the replacement before the date on the part, not after. A device with an expired pad is a device that fails its next check and is not ready for a rescue.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I inspect my AED?
Daily 30-second visual check, monthly 2-minute documented log, quarterly 10-minute readiness check, annual 30-minute program audit. Each cadence catches different failure modes.
What’s the difference between daily and monthly inspection?
Daily is a 30-second glance at the status indicator and cabinet, no documentation, anyone can do it. Monthly is a documented 2-minute inspection by the designated AED program owner, with a written log entry and ideally a timestamped photo.
Do I need to document daily inspections?
Daily checks don’t require formal documentation in most state AED programs, the monthly log is the audit baseline. However, some organizations use texted photos to a shared channel as a lightweight daily proof, creating layered documentation.
What should I do if the AED status indicator shows red?
Treat as urgent. The red status means the AED’s self-test detected a problem, usually battery depletion or a pad issue. Notify the designated AED program owner immediately and have replacement consumables on hand. Most issues resolve within 24 hours.
How long do I keep inspection logs?
Keep AED inspection logs for at least 3 years as good practice, and check your state's rules for post-deployment incident reports. Keeping them indefinitely in a cloud folder is simplest.
Can I use my AED manufacturer’s app for inspection?
Some modern AEDs (LIFEPAK CR2, Cardiac Science G5) sync to fleet-management apps that automate readiness logging. These complement, but don’t replace, physical visual inspection. Apps can show “device says ready” while a stolen device still shows ready in the database.
Who should own the monthly AED inspection?
A designated EHS officer, safety manager, facilities lead, or HR coordinator, by name, with a documented backup. Programs without a named owner consistently lapse.
Get hands-on AED training in under 3 hours.
Sources & References
- FDA, Automated External Defibrillators
- OSHA, AEDs in the Workplace Best Practices Guide
- American Heart Association, Public AED Resources
- Manufacturer maintenance documentation: Philips, ZOLL, Defibtech, HeartSine, Cardiac Science, Physio-Control
Disclaimer: Inspection requirements vary by state and facility type. This checklist is a general framework. Verify state-specific requirements with your state Department of Health.
