Key points
- In Victoria, the WorkSafe compliance code for first aid sets out exact numbers of kits and first aid officers by workplace size and risk level.
- Low risk workplace: one kit and one first aid officer for 10 to 50 employees. Higher risk workplace: one kit and one officer for up to 25 employees, two of each for 26 to 50.
- Kits should be checked every quarter and after every event that needed first aid.
- Elsewhere in Australia, the model code recommends one first aider per 50 workers in low risk workplaces and one per 25 in high risk workplaces.
A first aid kit on the wall is only the visible part of first aid at work. The questions that matter are how many kits a site needs, what is inside them, who is trained to use them and whether anyone has checked them lately. This guide follows the WorkSafe Victoria compliance code, First aid in the workplace, which came into effect on 4 November 2021, and notes where the national model code differs.
Which rules apply to you
Victorian employers have two ways to meet their duty under the compliance code:
- The prescribed approach gives set numbers based on the size of the workplace and its risk level. It suits most small and medium sites.
- The risk assessment approach works out first aid needs from the hazards of the workplace. Large sites and sites with a complex range of hazards need to use this one.
Workplaces in other states and territories follow their own regulator, most of them under the model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace. The principles are the same and the numbers are slightly different, as shown further down.
Low risk or higher risk?
A low risk workplace is one where employees are not exposed to hazards that could cause a serious injury or illness needing immediate medical treatment, and where medical help or an ambulance is readily available. Offices, libraries and most retail shops are typical.
A higher risk workplace is one where employees may be exposed to those hazards, or one that is isolated or remote. Manufacturing plants, commercial kitchens and motor vehicle workshops are examples in the code.
A site with an office and a workshop is treated as a higher risk workplace under the prescribed approach.
How many kits and first aid officers?
These are the numbers in the prescribed approach of the Victorian code.
Low risk workplaces
| Employees | First aid officers | First aid kits | First aid room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 10 (micro-business) | Not required | One basic kit | Not required |
| 10 to 50 | One | One | Not required |
| 51 to 100 | Two | Two | Not required |
| 101 to 200 | Three | Two for the first 100, plus one for every additional 50 | Not required |
| More than 200 | Three for 200, plus one for every additional 100 | Four for 200, plus one for every additional 100 | Required |
Higher risk workplaces
| Employees | First aid officers | First aid kits, with any modules needed | First aid room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 25 | One | One | Not required |
| 26 to 50 | Two | Two | Not required |
| 51 to 100 | Two for the first 50, plus one for every additional 50 | Two for the first 50, plus one for every additional 50 | Not required |
| More than 100 | Three for the first 100, plus one for every additional 50 | Three for the first 100, plus one for every additional 50 | Required |
Where possible, at least one first aid officer should be at the workplace at any time during operating hours, so shifts, leave and flexible work need to be counted in. Mobile workers such as delivery drivers and sales representatives need access to a suitable kit as well, which usually means one in the vehicle.
What goes in a basic workplace kit
For most workplaces the Victorian code lists these contents:
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| First aid instructions or quick reference guide | 1 |
| Notebook and pen or pencil | 1 |
| Disposable surgical face masks | 4 |
| Resuscitation face mask or face shield with one-way valve | 1 |
| Disposable nitrile gloves | 5 pairs in a range of sizes |
| Sterile gauze swabs 10 x 10 cm (3-pack) | 5 packs |
| Saline | 8 x 15 ml or 4 x 30 ml |
| Adhesive dressing strips, packet of 50 | 1 |
| Non-adherent wound dressings: 5 x 5 cm, 7.5 x 7.5 cm, 10 x 10 cm | 6, 3 and 3 |
| Conforming crepe bandages: 5 cm, 7.5 cm, 10 cm | 3, 3 and 1 |
| Scissors | 1 |
| Hypoallergenic non-stretch adhesive tape, 2.5 cm roll | 1 |
| Combine pad dressing 9 x 20 cm | 2 |
| Large resealable bags | 2 |
| Triangular bandages | 2 |
| Single use eye pads | 2 |
| Instant cold pack | 1 |
| Alcohol-based hand sanitiser | 1 |
| Emergency accident blanket | 1 |
When comparing first aid kits, hold the contents list of the kit against this one. Top up any gaps from the refills and restock range.
Extra modules for particular hazards
A basic kit covers common injuries. Where particular hazards exist, the code asks employers to add modules:
- Eye module where chemical liquids or powders are handled in open containers, where there is spraying, hosing, compressed air or abrasive blasting, where particles can fly, where welding, cutting or machining is done, or wherever eye protection is recommended. It includes instructions, one litre of single use eye wash or access to an eye wash station, sterile eye pads or an eye shield, and adhesive tape.
- Burns module where heat, flammable liquids, acids, alkalis or other corrosive chemicals are used. It includes burn treatment instruction cards, clean polythene film or sheets and a 7.5 cm cotton conforming bandage, with hydrogel as an optional item.
- Remote work items such as snake bite bandages, a thermal blanket, a whistle, a torch and a limb splint.
An eye module does not replace emergency eyewash equipment where chemicals or infectious substances could cause eye injuries. See the first aid accessories and modules range for add-on packs.
Medications and defibrillators
The 2021 code added several points that are easy to miss:
- Employers should consider including an asthma-relieving inhaler with a spacer, and an adrenaline auto-injector for anaphylaxis. Both need to be stored as the maker instructs and replaced at expiry, and first aid officers need training if they are expected to give medication.
- Employers should consider whether it is reasonably practicable to have an automated external defibrillator. One should be installed in a well-known, visible and accessible place, clearly signed and not locked away.
Where to keep the kit and how to sign it
- Kits need to be clearly identifiable and easy to reach, and employees need to be told where they are.
- The container keeps the contents clean, dry and organised, is easy to recognise, for example by a white cross on a green background, and should not be locked.
- The names and phone numbers of the first aid officers, and emergency service numbers, should be in or near each kit.
- Where there are separate work areas, a central first aid point with portable kits in each area often works best.
Signs for first aid facilities should follow AS 1319. The safety sign colours guide explains the green emergency information signs, and they are stocked under emergency, fire and first aid signs.
Checking and restocking
The code asks for a system to review and restock kits and to replace items before they expire. Kits should be checked quarterly and after every event that needed first aid. A simple way to do it:
- Keep a contents list inside the lid.
- Give one first aid officer responsibility for each kit.
- Check contents and expiry dates at the start of each quarter and record the date.
- Replace anything used on the same day.
First aid officer training
As a minimum, first aid officers need a nationally recognised statement of attainment for the unit Provide First Aid, or a course giving equivalent skills. CPR training should be refreshed every year and the first aid qualification renewed every three years. Higher risk workplaces may need officers trained in advanced first aid. See our first aid training page for course details.
Outside Victoria
The model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace, used in most other states and territories, recommends:
- one first aider for every 50 workers in low risk workplaces
- one first aider for every 25 workers in high risk workplaces
- one first aider for every 10 workers in remote high risk workplaces.
These are recommended ratios. The underlying duty is to provide first aid that suits the hazards, size and location of the workplace, so check the code published by your own regulator.
Shop first aid
- First aid kits and bundlesWorkplace, vehicle and portable kits
- Refills and restockReplace what has been used or has expired
- Accessories and modulesEye, burns and other add-on packs
- CPR and defibrillatorsAEDs and resuscitation items
This guide is part of our workplace safety checklist. The next step on the checklist is how often to test and tag electrical equipment.
Sources
- WorkSafe Victoria, Compliance code: First aid in the workplace (in effect from 4 November 2021).
- Safe Work Australia, model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace.
