It’s the most common question Adelaide business owners ask when preparing for AED compliance: how many defibrillators does my building actually need?
The answer depends on the size and layout of your premises. South Australia’s Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022 establishes requirements for certain buildings, and SA Health’s publicly available guidance provides benchmarks to help building owners determine appropriate coverage.
The 600 Square Metre Threshold
According to SA Health’s guidance, buildings used for commercial purposes with more than 600 square metres of publicly accessible floor space generally fall under the AED requirements.
This threshold captures a broad range of property types across Adelaide: office buildings, shopping centres, retail complexes, medical centres, gyms, hotels, entertainment venues, and mixed-use developments.
If your building has less than 600 square metres of publicly accessible floor area, it may not be captured by the legislation. However, many businesses choose to install an AED regardless, recognising the safety value for staff and visitors.
Understanding “Publicly Accessible Floor Space”
This has been a source of considerable confusion for South Australian business owners, so it’s worth addressing directly.
Recent legal clarification has confirmed that if any part of a building is publicly accessible, then the entire building’s floor space is counted for the purposes of the legislation.
In practical terms, a building doesn’t need to be fully open to the public to be captured. If your premises has a reception area, showroom, or any space where members of the public can enter, the total floor area is used when calculating whether you meet the threshold.
For example, a 1,500 square metre office building with a small publicly accessible reception area would count all 1,500 square metres, not just the reception space. This interpretation has significant implications for many Adelaide businesses that assumed only their public-facing areas were relevant.
If you’ve previously calculated your floor area based only on customer-facing spaces, it may be worth revisiting that assessment.
The 1,200 Square Metre Benchmark
SA Health’s guidance uses 1,200 square metres as a benchmark for AED placement. The principle is that anyone in the building should be able to reach a defibrillator quickly in an emergency.
For buildings with more than 1,200 square metres of floor area, the guidance indicates one AED for every 1,200 square metres:
- 1,500 square metres: two AEDs
- 3,000 square metres: three AEDs
- 5,000 square metres: five AEDs
These figures provide a starting point, but the actual number may vary depending on building layout and access points.
Multi-Storey Buildings
For buildings with multiple levels, AED compliance in South Australia requires consideration of vertical as well as horizontal coverage.
If each floor exceeds the relevant threshold, AEDs may be required on multiple levels. The goal is to ensure someone experiencing cardiac arrest on an upper floor doesn’t have to wait for a defibrillator to be carried up from ground level.
Stairwells, lift lobbies, and reception areas are common placement locations in multi-storey buildings because they’re visible, accessible, and familiar to building occupants.
Placement Considerations
The number of AEDs is only part of the equation. Where you position them matters just as much.
Industry best practice generally supports placing AEDs so they can be reached within two to three minutes from anywhere in the building. When assessing placement, consider foot traffic patterns, visibility and signage, accessibility for all occupants, and proximity to higher-risk areas such as gyms, or spaces used by older populations.
For buildings with multiple tenants, AEDs are typically placed in common areas rather than within individual tenancies. This ensures the device is accessible to everyone, including visitors and emergency responders.
Properties with complex layouts, multiple wings, or several entry points may need AEDs in more than one location to ensure adequate coverage. The key principle is response time: can a bystander reach the nearest AED and return within a few minutes?
Getting a Professional Assessment
While these benchmarks provide useful guidance, every building is different. Floor area calculations, building classifications, and layout complexities can make it difficult to determine exact requirements without a site-specific review.
Given the recent clarification around how publicly accessible floor space is calculated, some businesses may find their requirements are different from what they initially assumed.
SafePulse offers free AED site assessments for Adelaide businesses. Generally, we can conduct an assessment off-site and give you a quote on the spot.In some situations, we may conduct a site visit.
Our AED compliance assessment covers how many AEDs your building needs, where they should be positioned, what type of cabinet and signage is appropriate, and what your ongoing requirements will be for maintenance of your device.
For property managers overseeing multiple buildings, we can assess your entire portfolio and provide a consolidated AED compliance plan covering both installation and smart monitoring.
Planning for The New AED Laws In South Australia
The deadline for AED compliance in privately owned South Australian buildings is 1 January 2026. If you’re still determining how many AEDs your building needs, now is the time to get clarity.
SafePulse helps Adelaide businesses navigate AED compliance from initial assessment through to installation and ongoing maintenance. If you’re unsure what your building requires, a free site assessment is the simplest way to find out.