First Aid Kit Compliance Checklist for Australian Workplaces 2026

Why Compliance Matters

Under the WHS Regulations (regulation 42), a business must provide first aid equipment, access to facilities for first aid, and enough trained first aiders (or access to them). Non-compliance can result in improvement notices, prohibition orders, and substantial fines. Penalties under the Work Health and Safety Act run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and vary by the category of offence, the jurisdiction, and annual indexation — always confirm the current figures with Safe Work Australia or your state or territory WHS regulator.

This checklist follows the model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace (Safe Work Australia, July 2019), which most states and territories have approved. Victoria has its own OHS laws and guidance.

In NSW, since 1 July 2026 (section 26A of the WHS Act), you must follow an approved code of practice, or manage the risk another way that gives the same or a higher standard of health and safety. The first aid code is one of them.

1. Risk Assessment

• Conduct a workplace risk assessment to determine the type and number of first aid kits, first aiders, and facilities required.
• Classify workplace risk level — low risk (office, retail) vs high risk (construction, manufacturing, mining).
• Consider remote/isolated work — where medical help will be slow to arrive, plan for more first aiders, extra equipment and a reliable way to call for help.
• Review your first aid arrangements regularly, and whenever the work, workforce or hazards change. Writing the assessment down isn't mandatory, but it helps you show what you decided and why.

2. First Aider Ratios

• Low-risk workplaces: 1 first aider for every 50 workers (the Code's suggested ratio).
• High-risk workplaces: 1 first aider for every 25 workers.
• Remote high-risk workplaces: 1 first aider for every 10 workers.
• Ensure coverage across all shifts — first aiders needed for each shift, including night and weekend shifts.
• Keep qualifications current — the Code recommends renewing first aid qualifications (for example HLTAID011 Provide First Aid) every 3 years and refreshing CPR every year.

3. Kit Contents — the Code's Recommended List

The Code doesn't make any list mandatory: kit contents should suit your risk assessment. Its appendix gives the contents recommended for a typical workplace kit:

• Instructions for providing first aid, including a CPR flow chart — 1
• Notebook and pen — 1
• Resuscitation face mask or face shield — 1
• Disposable nitrile examination gloves — 5 pairs
• Gauze pieces, 7.5 × 7.5 cm, sterile (3 per pack) — 5 packs
• Saline, 15 mL — 8
• Wound cleaning wipes (single, 1% cetrimide) — 10
• Adhesive dressing strips, plastic or fabric (packet of 50) — 1
• Splinter probes (single use) — 10
• Tweezers or forceps — 1
• Antiseptic liquid or spray, 50 mL — 1
• Non-adherent wound dressing, 5 × 5 cm (small) — 6
• Non-adherent wound dressing, 7.5 × 10 cm (medium) — 3
• Non-adherent wound dressing, 10 × 10 cm (large) — 1
• Conforming cotton bandage, 5 cm wide — 3
• Conforming cotton bandage, 7.5 cm wide — 3
• Crepe bandage, 10 cm (for serious bleeding and pressure) — 1
• Scissors — 1
• Non-stretch hypoallergenic adhesive tape, 2.5 cm roll — 1
• Safety pins (packet) — 1
• BPC wound dressing No. 14 (medium) — 1
• BPC wound dressing No. 15 (large) — 1
• Combine dressing pad, 9 × 20 cm — 1
• Plastic bags, clip seal — 1
• Triangular bandage (calico or cotton, at least 90 cm) — 2
• Emergency rescue blanket — 1
• Eye pads (single use) — 4
• Access to 20 minutes of clean running water, or hydrogel sachets (3.5 g) — 5 sachets
• Instant ice pack — 1

4. Kit Placement & Signage

• Location: Kits should be easy to reach quickly, clearly visible, and not locked or blocked.
• Signage: Display standard first aid signs (white cross on a green background, AS 1319) so kits and facilities are easy to find.
• Number of kits: Enough that one can be reached quickly from every work area, including each floor of a multi-level workplace and work vehicles; decide through your risk assessment.
• First aid room: The Code suggests one for low-risk workplaces with 200 or more workers, and high-risk workplaces with 100 or more.

5. Inspection & Maintenance

• Regular inspections: The Code's minimum is after each use and at least every 12 months; many businesses check every 3 months, or monthly in high-risk workplaces. See our full inspection guide.
• After each use: Replenish used items immediately.
• Expiry tracking: Check and replace expired items on every inspection.
• Record keeping: Keep inspection logs; 5 years is a sensible period (not a legal requirement for kit checks).

6. Documentation & Records

• Risk assessment — what you decided and why, reviewed when things change.
• First aider register — names, qualifications, expiry dates.
• Inspection logs — date, inspector, items checked, actions taken.
• First aid and incident records — every treatment given (the Code recommends recording these); notifiable incident records must be kept for at least 5 years.
• Training records — certificates for all first aiders.

Sources

Checked 28 September 2026.

• Safe Work Australia: Model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace (July 2019)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 (NSW), reg 42 Duty to provide first aid (model Regulations wording)
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), s 38 Duty to notify of notifiable incidents (model Act wording)