TWO businesses have teamed up to provide thousands of workers and members of the local community with a lifesaving defibrillator.

Moss Industrial Estate, on St Helens Road, Leigh, and Jacobi Carbons, one of its tenants, have funded the defibrillator to ensure that staff based at the industrial estate, plus contractors and members of the public, have access to it in an emergency.

The defibrillator, which is located in Croft Court on Moss Industrial Estate, has been registered with the emergency services and is now fully operational. In the event of a cardiac arrest on site, a quick call to 999 will generate a unique access code. The defibrillator itself will guide the user through its operation or, alternatively, the emergency services operator will talk them through it.

Mark Downs, global laboratory manager at Jacobi Carbons, who led the project, said: “We have had employees with heart conditions and there have been a couple of instances when we have had to call an ambulance on site so this is a really important piece of kit.

"Whilst we hope we will never have to use it, it’s wonderful to think we have it there just in case and that it could help to save someone’s life.”

Sebastian Moss, managing director at George Moss & Sons, added: “There are over 100 businesses based at the industrial estate and thousands of people work here and visit the site every single day so we felt it was really important that we can provide a defibrillator that is fully accessible to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“It’ll even be accessible day and night to people living in the local community so we want to make sure that our neighbours in Lowton and Leigh are aware it is here, ready for use whenever it is needed.”