A BUILDERS merchant has demonstrated its commitment to customer and staff welfare by installing a new defibrillator in its York branch.

Selco Builders Warehouse will have the new equipment installed in its branch on Osbaldwick Link Road in the run-up to Christmas.

It forms part of a programme for all Selco’s 67 branches, as well as its Support Centre and Edmonton Delivery Hub, to house defibrillators.

Chief executive Howard Luft said the company was acting in a responsible manner by enhancing the survival chances of anyone who suffers a sudden cardiac arrest on Selco premises.

He said: “We have five million individual customer visits annually and more than 3,000 staff so, when you are dealing with that number, there is a chance that incidents around unexpected cardiac arrests can happen.

“By Christmas we will be in a position where we can respond to such a situation immediately and all the statistics suggest that being able to administer effective treatment quickly can be the difference between life and death.

“It is imperative that the business makes this investment and, even if we save one life over time, it’s money very well spent.”