First aid is the immediate treatment or care given to someone suffering from an injury or illness. The initial treatment a person receives directly after an injury, accident or when a person becomes ill at work is extremely important in achieving the aims of first aid.
Providing immediate and effective first aid to workers or others who have been injured or become ill at the workplace may reduce the severity of the injury or illness. In some cases it could mean the difference between life and death.
Health and safety duties in relation to first aid
Duty holders who have a role in first aid include:
- persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs)
- designers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers and installers of plant, substances or structures
- officers
- WHS service providers.
Workers and other persons at the workplace also have duties under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020, such as the duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety at the workplace.
A person can have more than one duty and more than one person can have the same duty at the same time. Early consultation and identification of risks can allow for more options to eliminate or minimise risks and reduce the associated costs.
Requirements in providing first aid
First aid requirements will vary from one workplace to the next, depending on the nature of the work, the types of hazards, the workplace size and location, as well as the number of people at the workplace. These factors must be taken into account when deciding what first aid arrangements are provided.
The First aid in the workplace: Code of practice provides information on using a risk management approach to tailor first aid to suit the circumstances of your workplace, while also providing guidance on the number of first aid kits, their contents and the number of trained first aiders appropriate for some types of workplaces.
First aid training requirements
First aid may be administered by the first person 'on the spot'. It is generally recognised, however, that a first aider is a person who has had some level of formal training. First aiders may have skills that range from basic expired air resuscitation (EAR) or cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to being able to provide more complex treatment.
Selection and training of first aid personnel is most important. First aiders should be familiar with the specific conditions and hazards at the workplace and the types of injuries likely to require treatment. The level of training that is needed should be determined according to the hazards identified at the workplace and the assessed risks.
First aiders at a workplace
In selecting and determining the number of first aiders needed at a workplace, consideration should be given to:
- the hazards identified at the workplace;
- an assessment of the risks associated with the hazards;
- the size and layout of the workplace;
- the location of the workplace including whether it is an isolated or remote workplace;
- the distance from the workplace to the nearest occupational health or medical service, or ambulance service; and
- the number and distribution of employees including those employees working shiftwork.
Paracetamol in first aid kit
Medication, including analgesics should not be included in a first aid kit because of their potential to cause adverse effects in some people, including pregnant women and people with medical conditions such as asthma. Workers requiring prescribed or over the counter medication should carry their own, however, for the treatment of severe allergies or anaphylaxis, workplaces may consider keeping an asthma-relieving inhaler and a spacer to treat severe asthma attacks and an epinephrine auto-injector (e.g. an EpiPen) for anaphylaxis. These should be stored in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Where required, first aiders or co-workers should have knowledge of the co-worker’s Action Plan for Asthma or Anaphylaxis and be provided with appropriate training.
Resources and guidance
- First aid in the workplace: Code of practice
This code of practice provides practical guidance on how to effectively provide first aid in the workplace. - Emergency showers and eyewash requirements
How compliant is your emergency shower and eyewash? What managers need to consider to comply with Australian Standard AS 4775.