First Aid at Work

First Aid at Work

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First aid is an important part of a safe and healthy work environment. This safety talk looks at what you need to consider when deciding first aid equipment and facilities you need at work, and suggests ways to help you organize your First Aid kits, facilities and first aiders.

What is First Aid?

First aid is the immediate and basic care given to injured or sick people before a doctor, emergency services or health professional takes over the treatment. It focuses on minimising serious injury and preserving life. (eg. Maintaining breathing, circulation, stopping bleeding and stabilising broken bones)

First Aid Requirements for your Workplace

When considering what first aid facilities, equipment and first aiders you need,

consider the nature of the work carried out for your business as well as the

physical locations where the work is completed.

All workers, including those working night shifts or outside of usual working

hours, must be able to access first aid equipment, facilities and first aiders

Nature of work and its risks:

Some workplaces have a greater risk of injury and illness than others due to the nature

of the work. (eg. workers in factories, automotive workshops, construction sites) These

workplaces when an injury occurs would require immediate medical treatment and

require different first aid arrangements than someone in a low risk workplace (office,

retail store) Your Incident Register will provide information regarding previous injuries

and near misses which may be useful in helping you decide what kind of first aid

facilities and equipment you need available.

Physical size and location:

First aid equipment and facilities should be easy for all workers to access, ideally within

minutes in an emergency. Consider:

• The distance between different work areas