AED defibrillators — provision, register and consumables (France)
A list of checks and obligations with their cadence, ready to add to your agenda.
For French operators of premises open to the public (ERP) and for companies that have installed an automated external defibrillator. It gathers the provision duty by ERP category, the declaration in the national geolocated database, the maintenance register required by the arrêté of 29 October 2019, functional checks and the replacement of battery and pads, plus the disposal of cells and of the device itself. Consumable intervals are not set by French law: they depend on the model, and the kit presents them as manufacturer guidance. It helps you meet the obligations; it does not replace reading the cited texts or the manufacturer's instructions.
Questions about this product?
Ask what is in the manuals, how often the maintenance is due and what it takes to do it.
What it already has at hand
- No manual on this page
- 8 planned checks, the most frequent continuous check, confirm every 6 months
Planned checks
Informative summary verified on 12/09/2026. It does not replace legal advice: the regulation cited prevails. If you spot an error, report it.
Some checks are only mandatory in certain countries: pick yours and the list follows.
In Italy this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
- 01
Watch the expiry date of the main battery
No French law sets how long an AED battery lasts: the manufacturer states it and prints it on the device or on the battery. Depending on the model it ranges from two to seven years, and several makers also tie replacement to the number of shocks delivered. This control means re-reading that date periodically and ordering a replacement before it expires; it is for the holder of the AED, and the change must be entered in the maintenance register.
continuous check, confirm every 6 monthsRecommendedFrance only - 02
Keep the maintenance register of the defibrillator
Every intervention on the AED must be entered in a maintenance register showing who carried it out, the date, what was done and the outcome. The basis is the arrêté of 29 October 2019 on AED signage and maintenance, not decree 2007-705 of 4 May 2007 that is often cited instead: that text authorises anyone to use a defibrillator and imposes no register. The duty falls on the holder of the device; the work may be done by trained staff or by the maintenance provider.
continuous check, confirm every 6 monthsLegal obligationArrêté du 29 octobre 2019 relatif à la signalétique et à la maintenance des défibrillateurs automatisés externesFrance only - 03
Send the AED's cells and batteries to the dedicated channel
The event that triggers this control is the replacement of the defibrillator battery: the spent cell does not belong in ordinary waste but in the extended producer responsibility channel for batteries and accumulators. The distributor must take it back free of charge under the "one for one" principle when an equivalent device or battery is bought, and collection points accept portable batteries in any case. The holder of the AED is responsible for handing it over and, in a business, for the traceability of the waste.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationCode de l'environnement — filières REP piles et accumulateurs et DEEEFrance onlySourceverified on 12/09/2026 - 04
Plan the end of life of the device with the compliance scheme
When the defibrillator is withdrawn, the device itself is electrical and electronic equipment and must go to a collection channel, not to ordinary waste. Which channel applies to a professional AED — the professional WEEE channel or a medical-device specific one — was not confirmed point by point by the research behind this kit: before disposal, ask the compliance scheme or the supplier which route to use. This control is therefore an organisational reminder, not a duty with a statutory frequency.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsRecommendedFrance only - 05
Check the AED provision required for your ERP category
Decree 2018-1186 requires an automated external defibrillator in premises open to the public according to their category: from 1 January 2020 for categories 1, 2 and 3, from 1 January 2021 for category 4 and from 1 January 2022 for the category 5 premises listed in the text. All three dates have passed, so this control is a periodic check that the device is there, reachable by the public and signposted. The duty falls on the ERP operator, who may carry out the check with in-house staff.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationDécret n° 2018-1186 du 19 décembre 2018France onlySourceverified on 12/09/2026 - 06
Check the status indicator and the self-test results
The arrêté of 29 October 2019 requires maintenance in line with the manufacturer’s instructions: nearly every AED runs an automatic daily or weekly self-test and reports the result through an indicator or a display. No French text sets how often you should look at it: the frequency shown here is recommended practice, to be aligned with the manual of the installed model. The check is for the holder or a person they appoint; any fault must be entered in the maintenance register.
continuous check, confirm every 1 monthsRecommendedArrêté du 29 octobre 2019 ; préconisations du fabricantFrance only - 07
Declare the AED in the national geolocated database
Every installed defibrillator must be declared in the national geolocated database set up by decree 2018-1186, so that emergency services and public apps can direct anyone looking for a device. The declaration is made on installation and must be updated when the device is moved, replaced or withdrawn. The duty falls on whoever holds the AED: the ERP operator or the company that bought it.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationDécret n° 2018-1186 du 19 décembre 2018 ; arrêté du 29 octobre 2019France onlySourceverified on 12/09/2026 - 08
Watch the pad expiry date and replace them after every use
Pad life is also stated by the manufacturer — typically two to five years depending on the model — and the date is printed on the sealed pouch. On top of that date there is an event: after every use of the defibrillator the pads must be replaced, because they are single-use. The control is for the holder of the AED; keeping a spare set is wise, since a device without valid pads cannot be used.
continuous check, confirm every 6 monthsRecommendedFrance only
In Germany this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Switzerland this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Austria this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United Kingdom this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Spain this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Portugal this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United States this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Other country this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
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