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How Many First Aid Kits Are Required in the Workplace in Australia?
Every Australian workplace must provide at least one first aid kit. That's the floor set by Safe Work Australia's model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace, and most state regulators apply the same baseline. The harder question is how many kits a workplace actually needs and where to put them. The answer rarely lands on one. It comes from a risk assessment that weighs hazards, workplace layout, worker numbers, and how fast someone can reach a kit in an emergency.
Below is what the Code requires, how to size kit numbers to a workplace's real risk profile, and where the GST question fits for Australian businesses. For the full compliance picture, see our Workplace First Aid Compliance in Australia hub guide.
Understanding Workplace First Aid Kit Requirements in Australia
Safe Work Australia Guidelines
The model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace, published by Safe Work Australia, sets out duties for every PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) under the Work Health and Safety Regulations. The starting point is simple: at least one kit, accessible to all workers at all times. That includes night shifts, overtime, work outside the usual workplace, and any other hours when staff are on duty.
The Code then asks employers to scale from that baseline based on workplace risk. Worksites with higher injury exposure (construction, manufacturing, kitchens, workshops) carry more kit obligations than offices and retail counters. Victorian workplaces have an additional state-level reference in WorkSafe Victoria's Compliance code: First aid in the workplace, which mirrors the model Code with state-specific overlays.
Factors Determining Kit Quantity
The Code does not prescribe a fixed worker-to-kit ratio. Number of kits comes out of a workplace-specific assessment that considers:
- Hazards present. Powered tools, heat sources, chemicals, sharp objects, work at height, and similar exposures change both how many kits you need and what goes in them.
- Size and layout. Multi-storey buildings, separated work areas, or sites with locked-off zones need kits distributed so no one is far from one. The Code recommends at least one kit on every second floor of a multi-storey workplace.
- Worker numbers and composition. Larger workforces, mixed shifts, contractors on site, and visitors all factor in.
- Shift coverage and mobile workers. Every shift needs access, including night shifts. Mobile workers (drivers, couriers, sales reps, on-site service crews) generally need a portable kit in their vehicle. Vehicles transporting dangerous goods carry their own eyewash requirements under the Australian Dangerous Goods Code.
The practical pattern for most workplaces: at least one kit per work area, one per floor in multi-storey buildings, extra kits in high-risk zones, and a kit in any vehicle that serves as someone's workplace.
Are First Aid Kits GST Free in Australia?
GST Status of First Aid Kits
Most first aid kits sold to Australian workplaces attract the standard 10% Goods and Services Tax. Some individual items inside a kit can fall under GST-free medical aid categories defined in the GST Act, but kits sold as a complete unit are typically treated as taxable supplies. The Australian Taxation Office position depends on how items are packaged and supplied.
If a business is registered for GST, it can usually claim an input tax credit for the GST paid on first aid kits used in the business. The net effect is that the kit's effective cost comes down to the GST-exclusive price.
Budgeting for Compliance
The GST treatment matters more for budgeting than for compliance. The Code of Practice obligation applies regardless of tax position. For Australian businesses planning a kit rollout, the realistic cost line is the kit price plus dispatch, with the GST claimed back through the BAS for GST-registered businesses.
Confirm the specific GST position on your purchase with the ATO or a tax professional before assuming a particular outcome.
Choosing the Right Number of First Aid Kits for Your Workplace
Three rough cases cover most Australian workplaces.
Low-Risk Workplaces (Offices, Retail)
A small office or retail shop with fewer than 25 staff usually meets the standard with one well-stocked kit kept in a known central location: kitchen, reception, or staff room. Larger offices may need a second kit if floors or zones make a single kit hard to reach. Office content matches the everyday injury pattern: cuts, minor burns, eye irritation, splinters, sprains.
High-Risk Workplaces (Construction, Factories)
High-risk sites earn more kits, and the kits earn more content. Multi-area sites usually run a kit per zone (welding bay, machinery area, loading dock, site office). A 30-to-50-worker construction site typically lands on three to five kits, with at least one placed near the highest-hazard area.
Construction sites have their own specific content requirements; see what's required in a first aid kit for a construction or industrial business in Australia.
Customisation for Specific Needs
Industry-specific hazards drive content as much as kit count. Vehicles for dangerous goods need eyewash equipment under the Australian Dangerous Goods Code. Kitchens need burn dressings. Outdoor and remote sites need extra coverage for delayed paramedic response.
The Code of Practice's risk-assessment appendix is the practical starting point for any employer working through this for the first time. See how to conduct a risk assessment for first aid kits in the workplace in Australia for the step-by-step.
Implementing and Maintaining Your Workplace First Aid Kits
Strategic Placement and Accessibility
The Code phrases this as "first aid equipment located at points of need." That means kits go where injuries happen, not where they look tidy. A few practical rules:
- Visible locations. High-traffic or high-risk areas (near entrances, kitchens, machinery, loading zones), with clear signage. White cross on a green background is the standard.
- Spread across the site. A workplace with one kit on the ground floor and a 50-person team across three floors is not compliant in practical terms. Kits go where workers can actually reach them in 30 seconds or less.
- Durable, portable cases. Kits move with the work, especially on construction sites and in vehicles.
- Known by everyone. Brief new starters at induction. Map the kit locations on the emergency floor plan.
Maintenance for Ongoing Compliance
Kits need regular auditing. Items expire (sterile dressings have shelf lives, antiseptics degrade, adhesive on bandages loses tack over time). Used items get pulled out and not replaced. For the full picture on expiry timeframes and what to look for, see why, when, and how do first aid kits expire in Australia.
Glenn from our team runs onsite kit servicing across Central Victoria and reliably finds expired sterile stock, used-and-not-replaced contents, and damaged outer cases on kits that have not been audited in a year or more. The kits that pass first inspection are almost always the ones with a quarterly checklist process.
- Schedule. Full audit every six months as a baseline; monthly visual check; monthly full audit for higher-risk sites.
- Records. Log every inspection and restock. The log is the evidence trail in a WHS audit.
- Refills. Replace expired or used items rather than buying new kits. Our first aid supplies range covers individual replenishment items.
- First aider currency. Trained first aiders need to be familiar with kit contents and confident using them. Refresh training to the relevant national unit (HLTAID011 Provide First Aid or equivalent) every three years.
Building a Compliance-Focused Workplace Culture
Understanding Regulatory Obligations
Penalties for non-compliance with WHS first aid duties vary by state but consistently land in the thousands for failures that lead to injury. The regulatory case for compliance is well established. The day-to-day case is simpler: a workplace that takes first aid seriously is a workplace where workers feel safer.
For who carries the responsibility internally, see who is responsible for checking and restocking first aid kits in the workplace in Australia.
Engaging Staff in Safety
Compliance sticks when it stops being one person's job. Plan first aid into induction, brief new starters on kit locations and named first aiders, and assign accountability for monthly visual checks. A workplace where every worker knows where the nearest kit is, who the first aider is, and when the last audit happened is a workplace that will not be caught short.
Conclusion
Number of kits is a risk-assessment question, not a worker-headcount formula. The model Code of Practice sets the minimum (at least one kit, accessible at all times) and asks employers to scale from there based on hazards, layout, and worker numbers. GST applies on most kit sales, and registered businesses can claim the input tax credit.
The workplace first aid kits range at First Aid Distributions is built to the model Code of Practice content lists, with ARTG listed kits where required. Need help sizing kit numbers across multiple sites? Call our Bendigo team on 03 5443 2239.
FAQ
How many first aid kits does a small office need?
At least one. Most low-risk offices with fewer than 25 workers meet the Code's minimum with a single well-stocked kit in a known location, plus a second kit if the workplace is spread across floors or zones that slow access.
Are first aid kits GST free in Australia?
Most are not. Kits sold to workplaces generally attract 10% GST. Registered businesses can usually claim an input tax credit for the GST paid. Check with the ATO or a tax professional for the specific position on your purchase.
How often should workplace first aid kits be checked?
Most workplaces run a full audit every six months and a visual check monthly. Higher-risk sites and sites with high kit use should audit monthly. Sterile items carry expiry dates that must drive the restock cycle.
Do high-risk workplaces need more kits than low-risk ones?
Yes. The Code of Practice asks for first aid equipment located at points of need, and high-risk workplaces typically have more points of need: kitchens, welding bays, machinery zones, loading docks, work vehicles. A 50-worker construction site usually runs three to five kits at minimum.
Where should first aid kits be placed?
Visible, accessible, and signposted. The Code recommends positioning kits near areas with a higher injury risk, on every second floor of multi-storey buildings, and in vehicles where employees do mobile work. Avoid storing kits behind locked doors or in obscure corners. A kit that cannot be reached in 30 seconds is not really there.
Related articles
- Workplace First Aid Compliance in Australia: The Complete Guide for Businesses
- How to conduct a risk assessment for first aid kits in the workplace in Australia
- What's required in a first aid kit for a construction or industrial business in Australia
- Why, when, and how do first aid kits expire in Australia