Every AED that is introduced to the market has a certain IP-value, where IP stands for 'International Protection'. The IP-value consists of two numbers to indicate the dust and water tightness. The first number stands for the degree of protection against dust and the second number stands for the protection of the AED against water. The first number, for dust-tightness, is on a scale from 0 up to and including 6 and the second number, for water tightness, from 0 up to and including to 8. It depends on the situation and location of hanging what the minimal desired IP value is.
| 1st number (dust) | 2st number (water) |
|---|---|
| IP0x Not protected | IPx0 Not protected |
| IP1x Protected against solid objects bigger then 50 mm |
IPx1 Dripping watter tight |
| IP2x Protected against solid objects bigger then 12 mm |
IPx2 Protected against dripping water |
| IP3x Protected against solid objects bigger then 2,5 mm |
IPx3 Rainwaterproof |
| IP4x Protected against solid objects bigger then 1 mm |
IPx4 Splashwaterproof |
| IP5x Protected against dust/dust-proof | IPx5 Protected against water jets |
| IP6x Dust tight | IPx6 Protected against rain showers |
| IPx7 Waterproof | |
| IPx8 Pressure-waterproof |
The two numbers can be combined to create one IP value or if one of the two values has not been tested, it will be combined with an X.
The highest IP values for AED devices are IP-55 and IP-56, of which IP-55 is the most common. These AED's are dust-proof and protected against water jets, causing that the defibrillators can also be used in (heavy) rain. A lower IP value doesn't make an AED unsuitable immidiately, it only means that it can be used safely in fewer situations. If the AED, for example, needs to be used outside or in an industrial environment, the IP value is an important feature to keep in mind.
