First Aid for Workplaces - A good Practice Guide

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What First Aid Equipment is needed?

Completing the Workplace First Aid Needs Assessment checklist will help you identify what equipment and how many first aiders you need. This section provides more detailed information on things like what should be in your first aid kits and where to locate them.

Do I need a first aid kit?

There should be a suitably stocked first aid kit in each place where people are working. There should also be a kit in work vehicles.

First aid kits must be made of sturdy material and be designed to protect the contents from damp, dust and contamination. Kits must be clearly identified as first aid containers. The marking must be a white cross on a green background.

The kits can be of any size, but they must be large enough to fit the contents, and be of a sufficient size to cope with the number of people needing to use it.

The size of the kit will depend on whether or not it is designed to operate as a mobile, lone worker, vehicle or commercial premises kit.

What should be in my first aid kit?

Below is a list of suggested minimum contents for first aid kits in workplaces with no special risks.

However, the content of your first aid kit must take account of the circumstances and hazards of your workplace. So the contents should be decided based on the outcome of your Needs Assessment. Where particular hazards exist, the kits should be provided with additional contents.

Appendix 1 has a list of suggested minimum contents for mobile first aid kits. They can be given to people working away from the usual workplace or for work vehicles. Where particular hazards exist, mobile kits should be provided with additional contents.

First aid kits must be checked regularly. Ensure they are replenished as soon as possible after use, so there's always an adequate supply of equipment available.

Items should be replaced before the expiry date shown on the packaging, where applicable.

Nothing other than first aid equipment or related equipment, such as pens and accident report forms, should be in the kits.

Items needed for wound cleaning

Clean water and disposable drying material should be provided to clean wounds. If clean water is not available, consider providing alternatives like individually wrapped moist cleansing wipes or sterile saline solution.

Cotton wool and antiseptics should not be used to treat wounds. Cotton wool fibres stick to wounds and incorrectly diluted antiseptics can cause burns.

If you supply reusable eye-wash bottles it's important the water is not stored in the bottles, as it can become stale and provide a breeding ground for bacteria. The bottles should be filled with fresh water at the time they are required. Once used, the bottles and any attachments must be properly cleaned with hot water and a mild detergent.

Should I put pain relief in my first aid kit?

It is recommended that over-the-counter pain relief medicines, such as paracetamol or aspirin, should not be given to people who have been injured at work, unless the person dispensing the medicine is medically qualified to do so.

Employers may decide to make over-the-counter pain relief medicine available for employees to administer themselves, so employees don't have to leave work to get medical help for relatively minor symptoms such as headaches. This may be relevant for workplaces located a long way from medical services or pharmacies, or that operate when medical services and pharmacies are closed.

If you decide to provide pain relief, monitor the usage to minimise misuse, abuse or accidental over-dosage.

Pain relief described as "pharmacy-only medicine", "prescription medicine" and "restricted medicine" should not be provided in first aid kits.

What signs should I use to identify first aid kits?

It's recommended that you use first aid signs that clearly show the locations of first aid equipment. This makes the equipment easier to locate in an emergency. Signs should comply with NZS/AS 1319: 1994 Safety Signs for the Occupational Environment or an equivalent applicable standard. See the Standards NZ website for information on standards www.standards.co.nz

How many kits do I need and where should they be located?

You need at least one full basic first aid kit in each place where people are working, which includes work vehicles. Additional kits may be required depending on the outcome of your needs assessment.

There should be at least one kit on each floor of a multi-level workplace. If you have more than 50 employees, it's recommended that an additional kit should be provided, and for every additional 50 employees another kit should be provided.

First aid kits should be located so they're clearly visible and accessible to all employees, and should be unlocked wherever possible. Sealed emergency kits should be available where kits must be locked.

First aid kits should be located close to a wash basin with hot and cold running water and clean towels. If because of the location clean running water isn't available, sterile saline solution or wipes should be supplied in the kits, and hand sanitising gel should also be available.

Kits should be located close to areas of particular or special hazards.

Wall-mounted kits should be removable, and be of a size and weight that one person can carry.

What personal protective clothing or equipment might I need?

Disposable gloves should be provided for use by people giving first aid, to reduce the risk of them transmitting disease and infections from person to person.

If your Needs Assessment suggests other protective clothing and equipment is needed - such as non-absorbent aprons, face visors and non-absorbent overalls -this should be stocked near the first aid kit. The equipment should be checked regularly to ensure it is in good condition.

First aiders must be trained so they can safely use personal protective clothing and equipment.

What other equipment might some employers need?

If your workplace has particular hazards like chemicals you may need additional first aid provisions. This might include things like:

immediate access to safety data sheets for dealing with chemicals
personal protective clothing or equipment for the first aiders if they need to enter a hazardous area
ice or instant cold packs
biohazard bags.

If a workplace covers a large area, or is divided into a number of separate self-contained working areas, consider providing suitable carrying equipment to transport casualties.

If blankets are provided, they should be stored alongside the first aid equipment, and kept free from dust and damp.

Other first aid equipment, including AEDs (defibrillators), oxygen and medicines may be supplied on specialist advice. People must not operate equipment that requires specialist training unless they have that training.

If respirators with cartridges are part of your emergency first aid equipment, they must be regularly maintained and the cartridges replaced as the manufacturer recommends.

How should I get rid of waste material?

Plastic disposable bags that can be sealed closed should be provided for soiled first aid dressings, disposable equipment and gloves. Ensure that used dressings and other biologically contaminated equipment are safely disposed of in order to reduce the risk of cross-infection.

If needles or other sharp instruments require disposal, a sharps disposal bin and a contract for its safe removal is recommended.

What information should be provided with first aid kits?

Each first aid kit should contain the names, job titles and contact details for the first aiders. They should also contain emergency contact numbers (ambulance, hospital, and doctor, etc).

The Department of Labour and the Environmental Risk Management Authority New Zealand have developed an Emergency Response Flip Chart, where the contact details for first aiders can be listed. The Flip Chart contains basic emergency information for fire, chemical spills, accidents and natural disasters. This can be downloaded from:

http://www.ermanz.govt.nz/ [pdf file 299KB]

It's recommended that writing materials are kept in or near the kit so people can record what has been used. This will help you make sure the kit is restocked in a timely way.

The Department of Labour has a form that can be used to record these details. This "The First Aid Register" form can be downloaded from http://www.osh.dol.govt.nz/order/catalogue/forms.shtml. There's a copy of the form in Appendix 3.

Do I need a first aid room?

Employers in large workplaces, for example those with more than 100 employees, should consider providing a first aid room to cope with the higher likelihood of an accident occurring.

Employers should also consider the need for a first aid room if their workplace is located somewhere where access to medical facilities is difficult, or where there are significant hazards in the workplace.

More information on how to set up a first aid room is in Appendix 4.