The short answer
- The Model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace from Safe Work Australia explains how to meet the first aid duty in the WHS Regulations (regulation 42).
- NSW, Queensland, SA, Tasmania, the ACT, the NT and WA have each approved a version of it. Victoria uses its own Compliance Code instead.
- A Code is mostly guidance: courts can use it as evidence and inspectors check against it. In NSW, from 1 July 2026, you must follow it or manage the risk another way that is as safe or safer.
- Kits: check after each use, or at least once every 12 months if unused, and sign and date the contents list each time.
- First aiders: suggested 1 per 50 workers (low risk), 1 per 25 (high risk), 1 per 10 (remote high risk).
What is the First Aid Code of Practice?
Every person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) has a duty under the WHS Regulations to provide first aid equipment, access to first aid facilities, and enough trained first aiders (or access to them) for their workplace. The regulation says what you must do. The Code of Practice explains how: what a kit should hold, how many first aiders are reasonable, when you need a first aid room and how to keep everything maintained.
The Code is built around a risk assessment. Before you decide on kits, first aiders and facilities, it asks you to look at:
- the nature of the work and the hazards at the workplace
- the size, layout and location of the workplace, including how far it is from medical help
- the number of workers and others at the workplace, such as visitors, contractors or students
In the Code, "must" means a legal requirement and "should" means the recommended way to meet it.
Which Code applies in your state or territory
Seven jurisdictions run the harmonised WHS laws and have approved a first aid Code of Practice based on the model Code. Victoria runs its own OHS laws. Pick your state for the detail, regulator contacts and notifiable incident rules.
| State / territory | Document that applies | Law | Regulator | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace (SafeWork NSW) | WHS Act 2011 (NSW) | SafeWork NSW | NSW guide |
| Queensland | First aid in the workplace Code of Practice 2021 | WHS Act 2011 (Qld) | Workplace Health and Safety Queensland | QLD guide |
| South Australia | Model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace, approved for SA | WHS Act 2012 (SA) | SafeWork SA | SA guide |
| Western Australia | Code of practice: First aid in the workplace (WorkSafe WA) | WHS Act 2020 (WA) | WorkSafe WA | WA guide |
| Tasmania | Code of practice: First aid in the workplace (WorkSafe Tasmania) | WHS Act 2012 (Tas) | WorkSafe Tasmania | TAS guide |
| ACT | First aid in the workplace Code of Practice, approved for the ACT | WHS Act 2011 (ACT) | WorkSafe ACT | ACT guide |
| Northern Territory | Code of practice: First aid in the workplace (NT WorkSafe) | WHS (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011 (NT) | NT WorkSafe | NT guide |
| Victoria | Compliance code: First aid in the workplace (WorkSafe Victoria) | OHS Act 2004 (Vic) | WorkSafe Victoria | VIC guide |
NSW: since 1 July 2026, section 26A of the NSW WHS Act means you must follow an approved code, including this one, or manage the risk another way that is as safe or safer. Read what changed on 1 July 2026.
Versions change. Check the regulator's site for the current edition before you rely on a detail.
What the Code says about first aid kits
Every worker can reach a kit
Kits should be kept somewhere prominent and easy to get to, and be quick to grab in an emergency. Large sites, multi-storey buildings and spread-out work areas usually need more than one kit. Workers who travel or work alone, such as drivers and field staff, should have a kit with them.
What a kit should look like
- big enough to hold all the items it needs
- easy to spot, with a white cross on a green background on the outside
- made of material that keeps the contents free of dust, moisture and contamination
- holding a contents list for that kit
What goes in it
The Code gives a suggested contents list for a typical workplace kit and adds modules for specific hazards, such as eye injuries, burns and remote work. Your risk assessment decides the final list. See what should be in a first aid kit for the full checklist, or start from one of our kit templates.
Checking and restocking
The Code asks for a person to be responsible for each kit. That person should:
- replace anything used as soon as possible after it is used
- check the kit after each use, or at least once every 12 months if it has not been used
- make sure items are in good condition, not past their expiry date, and that sterile products are still sealed
- sign and date the contents list after each check
Twelve months is the minimum. Kits that get used a lot, sit in vehicles or support high-risk work are usually checked monthly or quarterly. Read how often to inspect a first aid kit, use our inspection checklist, and see how long first aid items last.
Signs
Standard first aid signs help people find kits and facilities quickly. Signs should follow AS 1319, Safety signs for the occupational environment. See our free first aid signs.
What the Code says about first aiders
The model Code suggests these ratios as a starting point. Your risk assessment can call for more.
| Workplace | Suggested first aiders | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Low risk | 1 for every 50 workers | Offices, shops, libraries |
| High risk | 1 for every 25 workers | Construction, manufacturing, workshops |
| Remote high risk | 1 for every 10 workers | Remote construction, mining, farming far from help |
First aiders should hold a nationally recognised first aid qualification, usually HLTAID011 Provide First Aid. The Code recommends CPR refresher training every year and renewing the first aid qualification every 3 years. Work out your numbers with the first aid calculator.
First aid rooms
Low-risk workplaces
A first aid room should be considered.
High-risk workplaces
A first aid room should be considered.
The real test is your risk assessment: a room is needed where it would be hard to give proper first aid without one.
Victoria works differently
Victoria is the one state outside the harmonised WHS laws. Employers there follow WorkSafe Victoria's Compliance code: First aid in the workplace, made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. It covers the same ground (kits, first aiders, facilities and procedures) and sets out a prescribed number of kits and first aiders by headcount and risk. Following it means you comply with the matching duties. See the Victoria guide.
How to show you follow the Code
If an inspector visits, or after an incident, you will be asked how you manage first aid. Records make that easy:
- a dated, signed check for every kit, with what was replaced
- expiry dates for items that run out
- a register of first aiders and when their training expires
- first aid and incident records, including how kits and first aiders were used
- for notifiable incidents, a record kept for at least 5 years (WHS Act section 38)
FirstAidLog keeps all of this in one place: kit checks with photos and signatures, expiry alerts, a training register and inspection certificates for each kit. See how it works or run a free first aid kit audit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the purpose of the first aid Code of Practice?
It gives practical guidance on meeting the first aid duty in the WHS laws: making sure a workplace has the first aid equipment, facilities and trained people it needs, so anyone injured or taken ill at work gets help quickly.
What guidance does the first aid Code of Practice provide for a workplace?
It explains how to assess your first aid needs, how many first aiders you need and what training they should hold, what kits to provide and where to keep them, when you need a first aid room or other equipment, and how to set up and review first aid procedures.
What does the first aid Code of Practice contain?
Sections on working out first aid needs through a risk assessment, first aid kits and their contents, other first aid equipment such as eye wash and defibrillators (AEDs), first aid rooms, first aiders and their training, and first aid procedures. Its appendices include a suggested contents list for a workplace first aid kit.
Is there a First Aid Act in Australia?
No. There is no separate First Aid Act. Workplace first aid duties come from each state's Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations (regulation 42), or from the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 in Victoria. The Code of Practice explains how to meet those duties.
Is the first aid Code of Practice legally binding?
In most states an approved Code of Practice is not law on its own, but a court can use it as evidence of what is known about a hazard and how to control it, and inspectors check against it. In NSW, from 1 July 2026, a business must follow an approved code or manage the risk another way that gives the same or a higher standard of health and safety (WHS Act section 26A).
How often does the Code of Practice say first aid kits must be checked?
The model Code says to check each kit after it is used, or at least once every 12 months if it has not been used, and to sign and date the kit's contents list after each check. Many workplaces check monthly or quarterly, especially busy or high-risk kits.
How many first aiders does the Code of Practice recommend?
The model Code suggests one trained first aider for every 50 workers in a low-risk workplace, one for every 25 workers in a high-risk workplace, and one for every 10 workers in a remote high-risk workplace. Your own risk assessment decides the final number.
Does Victoria have a first aid Code of Practice?
Victoria is not part of the harmonised WHS laws. It uses WorkSafe Victoria's Compliance Code: First aid in the workplace, made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, instead of the model Code of Practice.
When does a workplace need a first aid room?
The model Code says a first aid room should be considered where your risk assessment shows first aid would be hard to give without one, for example low-risk workplaces with 200 or more workers and high-risk workplaces with 100 or more workers.
Sources: Safe Work Australia model Code · WorkSafe Victoria Compliance code. Each state guide links its own regulator.
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