Workplace First Aid Kits

Does your first aid kit only get reviewed in an emergency? 

First aid kits are essential for all workplace locations. Why? Because when you’re in the middle of an emergency or an accident, it’s too late to wish for those bandages and wound care items. The point of a kit is to have all your wound care and emergency items in one place that is easily identifiable and accessible. 

So what constitutes a workplace area? Anywhere that you do business.

The July 2019 Model Code of Practice: First Aid in the Workplace states that a workplace is “Any place where work is carried out for a business or undertaking and includes any place where a worker goes, or is likely to be, while at work. This may include offices, factories, shops, construction sites, vehicles, ships, aircraft or other mobile structures.”

Why is it important to have a first aid kit?

Accidents, unfortunately, are unforeseeable and inevitable, so owning a first aid kit is a way to be emergency prepared. They can give both employers and employees a piece of mind that something can be done at that crucial moment while also filling your regulatory and legislative responsibilities.

How to determine what your first aid requirements are.

Every workplace is different, which means your first aid requirements will be dependant on the following:

• The nature of the work being carried out at your workplace. Is it a child care centre where you cater for small children, babies, and staff? Or is it a mine site with large machinery and other potential hazardous materials?
• What’s the nature of the hazards at your workplace, including physical hazards (e.g. machinery, equipment), chemical hazards (toxic substances), biological hazards (infectious materials), ergonomic hazards (repetitive movements), and psychosocial hazards (e.g. stress, workplace violence)?
• What’s the size and location of your workplace? Consider the size and layout of your workplace and the distance from emergency medical services.
• The number and composition of the workers and persons, like visitors or volunteers at your workplace.

To help you out you can complete our free risk assessment.

What should be included in your first aid kit/s.

Overwhelmed by what sort of items you need in your first aid kit? That’s why we are here to help with a wide range of specialised high quality kits depending on your needs.

Kits should contain the basics to administer the following:

• Cuts, scratches, punctures, grazes, and splinters
• Muscular sprains and strains
• Minor burns
• Broken bones
• Major bleeding wounds
• Eye injuries
• Shock

A basic first aid kit should contain:

A high risk kit will include a comprehensive selection of the above plus a selection of the following depending on your risk assessment requirements:

• Defibrillator
• Snake bite kit
• Combat action tourniquet
• Flexible splint
• Sodium chloride with an eyewash attachment
• Burn gel dressing pads
• Pocket CPR mask
• Sharps container
• Varying specialised modules like burns, abrasions, tooth trauma and sprains

It’s important to keep your first aid kit/s well-maintained, regularly checked for expired items and ensure everyone knows where it is.

Don’t have time to keep your kit/s stocked and up to date? We have distributors that can look after all your first aid needs and keep your kit/s up to regulatory standards.

What sort of kit do you need?

Now that you’ve established your requirements and have a bit of an idea on what sort of items need to be in your kit, you can build your own kit or choose one of the many we have prepared for your emergency needs. 

Our high risk kits include Emergency Medical Rescue Kit, Eye Wash Kit, First Responder Emergency Kit, Major Haemorrhage Kit, Trauma Major Emergency Kit. View the full range plus varying containers each kit can come in here or high risk workplace compliant kits here.

A low risk workplace is one where employees are not exposed to hazards that could result in serious injury and illnesses, such as office settings, retail stores, libraries etc.

Our low risk kits include Child Care and School Kits, Low Risk Workplace Vehicle Kit, Hospitality & Restaurant Kit, General Workplace Kit, and Regulation Marine Kits.

Each kit container should be large enough to contain all the necessary items, be immediately identifiable, contain a list of contents, and be made of material that will protect the contents from dust, moisture, and contamination. Take a look at our empty first aid containers here.

First aid training

Owning a dependable first aid kit is essential to follow legislative requirements and industry standards. The next important aspect is to have fully trained and nationally accredited first aid officers who are taught how to administer first aid.

Take a look and enroll in our nationally recognised and VETEC accredited training programs.