Section 42 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld) requires a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) to provide first aid equipment and facilities that every worker can reach, and enough trained first aiders. The Regulation does not fix a number of first aiders or a list of kit contents. The First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021 (Qld) gives recommended starting points for both, and they are guidance, not a fixed legal ratio.
What the Regulation says
Under section 42, a PCBU at a workplace must ensure:
- first aid equipment is provided for the workplace, each worker can get to it, and there is access to facilities for giving first aid (section 42(1)); and
- an adequate number of workers are trained to give first aid, or workers have access to an adequate number of other people who are trained (section 42(2)).
Each has a maximum penalty of 60 penalty units. To decide what is adequate, you must have regard to all relevant matters, including the nature of the work, the nature of the hazards, the size and location of the workplace, and the number and make-up of the workers and other people there (section 42(3)). In practice that means a short first aid risk assessment.
How many first aiders do you need?
The code recommends these ratios as a starting point:
| Type of workplace | First aiders | First aid kit | First aid room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low risk, such as an office, shop or library | 1 for every 50 workers | Basic kit | Recommended at 200 workers or more |
| High risk, such as construction, welding, work with mobile plant or confined spaces | 1 for every 25 workers | Basic kit plus extras for the specific risks | Recommended at 100 workers or more |
| Remote high-risk | 1 for every 10 workers | Basic kit plus the remote items below | Not applicable |
These are recommendations, not a legal ratio. The code is an approved code of practice. A court can treat it as evidence of what is reasonably practicable, and a PCBU may follow a different approach only if it gives an equivalent or higher standard of safety (sections 26A and 275 of the WHS Act). If you plan to do something different from the code, write down why in your first aid risk assessment.
The code says to refine the number using five steps:
- Count the most workers who may be on site at one time, including contractors, subcontractors and volunteers.
- Decide whether the work exposes people to hazards that need immediate first aid.
- Check whether the workplace is remote or emergency services are slow to arrive. A high risk workplace without timely medical and ambulance access should have at least one first aider for every 10 workers.
- Look at how people work. Tradespeople, couriers and others who work alone or on the move may not always have a first aider nearby, but they must be able to get first aid help, for example through a way to reach emergency services or first aiders and instruction on what to do.
- Allow extra for shift work, overtime, seasonal peaks, large numbers of visitors, unusual hazards, and the days a first aider is on leave.
If your workplace is shared, the code says another duty holder’s first aid equipment, facilities and first aiders may meet your duty if they are adequate and easy for your workers to reach when they are working. That takes consultation and cooperation with the other businesses (section 46 of the WHS Act).
Doing a first aid risk assessment
The code uses four steps: identify the hazards that could cause injury or illness, assess the type, severity and likelihood of injury, provide the equipment, facilities and training, and review regularly. Things to look at:
- The work. Manual tasks, heights, electricity, machinery and moving vehicles, hazardous chemicals (check the safety data sheets for first aid advice), heat and cold, welding, animals and violence.
- The location. Distance to the nearest ambulance, hospital or medical centre, how far apart work areas are, and whether there are several floors or buildings.
- The people. Numbers, shifts, visitors, and workers with a known condition such as asthma or allergies. Your injury and near miss records show what has actually happened. Our free incident report form helps you keep them.
You must consult your workers, so far as is reasonably practicable, when deciding what first aid equipment and facilities you need (section 47 of the WHS Act). The code says the consultation should cover the number, location and contents of first aid kits, the type of first aid facilities, the procedures and the number of first aiders.
First aid kit checklist
All workers must be able to reach a first aid kit, which means at least one kit at the workplace. The Regulation does not list what goes inside, so the contents come from your risk assessment and the code’s example list. For most workplaces the code says a kit should include:
- instructions for giving first aid, including a CPR flow chart;
- dressings and bandages: assorted adhesive strips, wound or combine dressings, non-adherent pads, gauze squares, eye pads, triangular bandages, crepe and conforming bandages, hypo-allergenic tape and safety pins;
- tools: scissors, forceps or tweezers, single-use splinter probes, a kidney dish and a small bowl;
- cleaning and infection control: disposable gloves, antiseptic solution, sterile saline or sterile water for eye wash (throw it out once opened), a sharps container, plastic bags for waste, and a resuscitation mask for use by qualified people;
- other items: a notepad and pen, a re-usable ice pack, an emergency rescue blanket, an instant eye pack, and access to 20 minutes of clean running water or hydrogel sachets for burns.
Add to this where the risks call for it. The code suggests an outdoor module (a heavy duty 10 cm crepe bandage for snake bites, and sting relief), a remote module (the crepe bandage, large clean sheeting for burns, a thermal blanket, a whistle and a torch) and a burn module. It says kits should not hold medication such as paracetamol or aspirin. Workplaces may consider an asthma inhaler with a spacer, or an epinephrine auto-injector, but first aiders need training for these and Queensland Health regulates emergency first aid medicines.
The code also says each kit should:
- show a white cross on a green background on the outside, and hold a list of its contents;
- be kept in a prominent, easy-to-reach place, close to higher risk areas, with at least one kit on every second floor of a multi-storey workplace;
- be carried in the vehicle of mobile workers, secured so it cannot become a projectile in a crash; and
- be checked after each use, or at least once every 12 months if not used, by a nominated person who signs and dates an inventory and replaces anything used or out of date.
The kit list is the code’s guidance, not a legal list of contents. Our first aid policy template sets out who checks the kit and when.
Other first aid equipment and facilities
- Defibrillator (AED). The code says to consider one where there is a risk of electrocution, a delay for ambulances, or many members of the public.
- Eyewash and showers. Emergency eyewash where chemicals or infectious substances could injure eyes, and an emergency shower where there is a risk of skin contamination or serious burns.
- A phone or emergency call system so first aiders can reach emergency services.
- A first aid room. Recommended at the numbers in the table above, or sooner if your risk assessment shows first aid would be difficult without one.
First aider training
The code says first aiders should as a minimum hold a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment from a registered training organisation for the first aid unit of competency “Provide First Aid”, or a course giving equivalent skills. It recommends CPR refreshers every year and renewing first aid qualifications every three years. More training may be needed for remote work, dangerous substances, children, specialist equipment or workers with known medical conditions. Keep a record of who is trained and when it expires with our free employee training register.
Procedures, records and review
The code recommends first aid procedures that cover who the first aiders are and which areas and shifts they cover, where the kits and facilities are, who maintains them, how to call for help (especially for remote workers), how workers report injuries, and what happens when someone is too hurt or ill to stay at work. Tell workers where to find first aid and who the first aiders are during induction and whenever those details change.
The first aider should record the treatment given and report to managers regularly so you can review your arrangements. The code says information about a worker’s health must be kept confidential and given to first aiders only with the worker’s consent. On a construction site, the code suggests first aiders could wear a particular colour of high-visibility vest, or you could display a first aid contact number.
Review your first aid arrangements regularly with your workers, when the work changes, after an incident that needed first aid, and when you learn of a new hazard. A mock first aid emergency is a good test. First aid also fits into your emergency plan (section 43 of the WHS Regulation), so read our guide to emergency plan requirements in Queensland. A serious injury may also be a notifiable incident, covered in our notifiable incidents guide.
More on first aid at work
See what to do on the day in our guides to first aid in the workplace, burns and allergic reactions. The emergency management policy and procedure template links your first aid and emergency arrangements.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check the current law or talk to WorkSafe Queensland for your situation.
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