Defibrillators will be made available at all the offices and sites of property and infrastructure company Lend Lease, including the still-under construction Hydro Arena on Clydeside.

The £27,000 plan is the brainchild of Lend Lease project manager Barry O'Hagan, who is a trained first aider and volunteer Community First Responder.

He said: "I have attended a number of heart attack calls since becoming a First Responder and it can be frustrating that sometimes no CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is taking place prior to arrival of help.

"This could be the crucial factor for the victim of a cardiac arrest surviving or not.

"With this in mind, I put together a detailed proposal which was supported by Lend Lease and approval was given to supply 10 defibrillators to our sites and offices across the country."

The electronic heart starters can be used in the offices, sites and by the public in case of cardiac arrest.

The company, supported by the Scottish Ambulance Service, has trained more than 100 of its employees and supply chain members on how to carry out both CPR and use the defibrillators.

Defibrillators are most effective, in conjunction with practical CPR, when dealing with a cardiac arrest, which results in loss of consciousness and absence of pulse and breathing.

The handheld machines are smaller than a sheet of A4 paper and send an electric shock through the wall of the chest to restart the heart and blood flow.

The defibrillators, which are based in the Scottish sites, including four Lanarkshire primary schools and the new University of Strathclyde Technology & Innovation Centre, are also available for public use when dealing with cardiac arrests.

In addition to these sites and the two Lend Lease offices, all forthcoming or new sites in Scotland will be supplied with defibrillators and the company will also be rolling this out across the UK.

Pat O'Meara, of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: "There is clear evidence that early intervention with first aid skills and the use of defibrillators before the ambulance crews are on scene can save lives and make a significant contribution to the quality of recovery for patients.

"This is an excellent initiative that will have a positive impact."

fiona.mckay@ eveningtimes.co.uk