A Bradford firm has become the first in the north to sign up to a new aimed at saving lives at work.

Recruitment firm The Works has joined a scheme run by Trust Medical which offers lifesaving equipment and training on how employees can cope when emergencies like heart attacks happen.

More than 1,750 people die of sudden cardiac arrests every week in the UK, the highest rate in Europe.

The Works managing director Craig Burton, who employs 32 permanent staff and 800 temporary workers, said: "It would be almost daft not to have this training and equipment available.

"Everybody has a first aid kit but nowhere has facilities to treat the UK's biggest killer. It is good to know that if it ever happened to me I will be looked after."

Mr Burton and five of his employees had four hours of specialised first aid training in the use of defibrillators from an NHS paramedic.

After a heart attack the victim's chances of survival decrease by ten per cent with every passing minute. The average response time of the emergency services is eight minutes.

Abe Elkinson, director of Manchester-based Trust Medical, said: "Everybody's first reaction in the event of a heart attack is to call for an ambulance. They do a fantastic job but ultimately cannot be everywhere at once.

"Heart disease is by far the UK's biggest killer and yet cardiac arrests can be treated by anyone with the correct training and the right equipment and it could save a life."

"We would like to see this equipment become as commonplace in the office as a fire extinguisher.

"Every office in the county has fire extinguishers fitted but, last year, there were 624 fire-related deaths at work in comparison to more than 100,000 deaths from heart decease."

Mr Elkinson praised The Works' commitment to health and safety. "Staff and visitors can feel confident they are at one of the safest offices in Yorkshire and that there is equipment and trained staff on site in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest," he said.