First Aid Kit Guide: AS 2675 & Workplace Compliance

A workplace first aid kit is a non-negotiable WHS compliance requirement for every Australian business with employees. Under the model Safe Work Australia First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice and state-specific WHS regulations (NSW WHS Reg 42, Vic OHS Reg 3.1.4, equivalent in every other state), every Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) must provide accessible first aid equipment, trained first aid officers, and procedures appropriate to the workplace's hazards and worker numbers. The first aid kit itself sits at the centre of that obligation.

This guide is the comprehensive reference for workplace first aid kits in Australian industry. We cover the AS 2675 standard and the Safe Work Australia Code of Practice that supersedes it for workplace use, low-risk vs high-risk classification, the mandated kit contents, industry-specific kits (mining, heavy vehicle, vehicle, burns, snake bite, survival), refill cycles and audit requirements, and where AIMS sits with the Trafalgar workplace-focused range across 73+ products. Browse the first aid kit and supplies range or call (02) 9773 0122 for sizing help.

This guide is scoped to workplace and industrial first aid — the kits, contents, and obligations that AIMS's industrial buyer audience needs. It is not about consumer first aid kits (Kmart, Bunnings, Chemist Warehouse, St John retail), pet first aid, baby first aid kits, or personal travel kits — those are different products with different content rules. For the broader workplace safety system, see our companion guides on Safety Harnesses, Hi-Vis Vests, Hard Hats, Safety Glasses, Hearing Protection, Respirators, Safety Boots, and Work Gloves.

Why workplace first aid kits matter — the regulatory reality

Every Australian workplace must have at least one accessible, properly stocked first aid kit. Under WHS legislation, this is not optional: failure to provide a compliant kit is a documentable WHS breach that can result in improvement notices, fines, and personal liability for officers under the WHS Act 2011 (or state equivalent). The PCBU — typically the employer — has a duty to ensure first aid equipment, facilities, and trained first aiders are accessible to workers, taking into account the nature of the work, hazards present, size of the workplace, and number of workers.

The forum-validated reality from r/AskAnAustralian (58-comment thread): "In my experience WH&S was just a box to be ticked and promptly forgotten about." Many workplaces buy a kit, mount it on a wall, then never inspect or refill it. Kit content expires, supplies get raided for personal use, dressings degrade — and when an injury happens, the kit fails the audit. This guide is structured to help you set up a compliance regime that survives day-one through year-five.

The three pillars of workplace first aid compliance are: (1) the right kit for your risk profile, (2) proper location and signage, (3) ongoing inspection and refill. Get all three right and you've satisfied the AU regulatory framework. Miss any one and the kit becomes a paper tiger.

AS 2675 + Safe Work Australia Code of Practice — the AU framework

Two regulatory documents define Australian workplace first aid kit requirements: AS 2675-1983 (the standard) and the Safe Work Australia "First Aid in the Workplace" Code of Practice (the operational framework). Both are commonly referenced; in practice the Code of Practice is the current enforced reference for workplace use.

Trafalgar workplace first aid kits supplied through AIMS — WM1 Workplace ABS Wall Mount, HV1 Heavy Vehicle, the Mining range and Burns range — are designed to comply with the model Code of Practice and AS 2675 baseline content requirements, with industry-specific augmentation for mining, transport, and hot work environments.

Low-risk vs high-risk workplace classification

The Code of Practice classifies workplaces by hazard profile. The classification determines which kit type, how many kits, and what additional contents are required. Most AU workplaces fall into one of three brackets:

The Code of Practice doesn't prescribe exact kit content for each risk level — it requires a workplace risk assessment to identify likely injuries and ensure kit contents match. In practice, the Trafalgar WM1 Workplace covers low-risk; the Trafalgar Mining range covers high-risk industrial; and combinations of portable mining + burns + snake bite supplies cover remote/isolated.

Number of kits required — the practical rule

The Code of Practice doesn't specify a fixed number; it requires "first aid equipment to be located at points of need". The practical rules used across AU industry:

• One kit minimum per workplace. No matter how small the business — a single home-office consultancy needs a basic kit on premises.
• One kit per separate work area. A factory with separate production, packaging, and warehouse zones needs three kits.
• One kit per floor (multi-storey). Each level of a multi-storey workplace requires its own kit.
• Additional kits for high-risk zones. Welding bay, hot-work area, chemical store, kitchen — each gets a dedicated kit appropriate to the hazard (burns kit at the welding bay, eye-wash at chemical handling).
• Vehicle kits. Every work vehicle requires a vehicle-specific kit (passenger fleet = Trafalgar Vehicle Low Risk; heavy vehicle = Trafalgar HV1).
• Mobile/site kits. Construction sites, agricultural operations, mining sites need kits at each work area + portable kits travelling with crews.
• 30-metre rule of thumb. No worker should be more than 30 metres from a first aid kit. For larger sites, this drives kit count up.

Site walks help identify kit count. Map the workplace, mark hazard zones, mark walking distances; ensure every worker has access within 30 metres or one minute's walk.

Where to locate workplace kits — accessibility + signage

Code of Practice requirements for kit location:

• Accessibility: kits must be reachable by all workers without unlocking doors, requiring keys, climbing ladders, or moving heavy obstacles. Wall-mount on a key path (corridor, kitchen wall, near main exit) is the AU standard.
• Signage: kit location must be clearly identified by approved first aid signage — green/white square cross symbol per AS 1319-1994 Safety Signs. Signage must be visible from the main work area + from adjacent corridors.
• No locking: kits should not be locked. Locked kits violate the accessibility requirement. If theft is a concern, use a sealed kit with a tamper-evident seal that an inspector can audit.
• Ergonomic height: wall-mount at typical working height (1.4–1.7 metres above floor). Not too high for shorter workers; not so low it's hidden behind furniture.
• Lighting: kit location must be visible in normal and emergency lighting. Avoid corners that are dark when main lights fail.
• Temperature: kit contents (especially eye-wash, antiseptic, sterile dressings) lose effectiveness at extreme temperatures. Avoid direct sun, near heaters, near outdoor doors that swing open in summer/winter.

The Trafalgar WM1 Workplace ABS Case Wall Mount includes a wall-mounting bracket for permanent installation; the Trafalgar Mining Large Wall-mount is the equivalent for industrial sites. Wall-mounted kits make audit and content management much easier than free-standing kits that get moved around.

Mandatory contents — the standard workplace kit checklist

The Code of Practice and AS 2675 specify minimum content for a workplace first aid kit. Specifics vary slightly by source and risk level; the table below is the typical AU workplace kit content baseline. Trafalgar workplace kits are stocked to meet or exceed this baseline.

Individual supplies are also stocked separately for top-up: First Aiders Choice Premium Plastic Strips 50-pack, Finger and Knuckle Strip 40-pack, Instant Ice Pack Large, Reusable Hot/Cold Pack, and Brady Antibacterial Wipes 75 sheets.

Mining + remote workplace kits — AU-specific content

Mining and remote workplaces face hazard profiles that standard workplace kits don't cover. Time-to-paramedic-arrival can exceed 30 minutes; snake and spider bites are real risks; dust, abrasion, and heat-stress injuries are routine; eye contamination from drilling fines and crushing operations is common. The mining first aid kit is augmented for these conditions.

Trafalgar Mining First Aid Kit Large Wallmount ABS Plastic Case is the wall-mount option for permanent mining-site installation. Trafalgar Mining First Aid Kit Portable Polypropylene Case is the field-portable version that travels with crews. Both include the standard workplace contents plus:

• Snake bite compression bandages — wide elasticated bandages (10cm × 4–5m) for pressure-immobilisation technique on suspected venomous bites
• Heat stress + heat stroke supplies — additional saline, electrolyte sachets, larger cooling packs, hydration awareness materials
• Eye irrigation bottles (larger than ampoule format) — for prolonged irrigation of dust/fine contamination
• Splints + immobilisation supplies — for crush, fracture, and sprain in remote settings before professional medical arrival
• Disposable resuscitation face shield + bag-valve-mask — for CPR in extended-time-to-help scenarios
• Trauma dressings / tourniquet — for severe haemorrhage in heavy industrial environments
• Marker pens — to write bite-time, tourniquet-time, dose-time on patient skin for paramedics

For sites with extended-time emergency response, the Trafalgar Mining First Aid Kit Refill Pack covers full content replenishment — important after major incidents that consume significant supply.

Heavy vehicle / transport HV1 kits — AS/NZS compliance

Drivers of heavy vehicles in Australia operate under an additional layer of compliance. Road transport regulations mandate first aid provision for prime movers, B-doubles, road trains, and other heavy vehicle operations. The Trafalgar HV1 Heavy Vehicle First Aid Kit is purpose-built for this compliance — it's a different content profile to standard workplace kits, addressing transport-specific incident patterns: prolonged response time on remote highways, single-driver scenarios, vehicle-confinement injuries.

HV1 kit augmentation typically includes:

• Larger trauma dressings for severe road-incident haemorrhage
• Burns kit components for engine-bay or fuel-related burns
• Cervical immobilisation collar for suspected neck injury after collision
• Additional thermal/emergency blankets for shock + cold-environment management
• Tourniquet for severe limb haemorrhage
• Reflective triangle / hazard warning equipment (where required)
• Larger hydration capacity for extended remote-area incidents

For passenger vehicles in fleet operations (utes, vans, sedans not classed as heavy vehicles), the lighter Trafalgar Vehicle Low Risk First Aid Kit (Soft Case) is the appropriate option. Or for combined first aid + roadside breakdown response, the Trafalgar Vehicle First Aid and Breakdown Pack.

Vehicle (passenger fleet) first aid kits

Work vehicles — utes, vans, fleet sedans, salesperson cars, service vehicles — typically need a low-risk passenger-vehicle first aid kit. The Trafalgar Vehicle Low Risk First Aid Kit (Soft Case) is the standard. Soft case format fits in glove box, behind seat, or under the front passenger seat. Content is reduced from full workplace kit but covers the predictable injuries of in-vehicle workers (cuts, sprains from getting in/out, minor burns, eye irritation from dust).

For vehicles operating in high-risk environments (mining transport, agricultural, remote service), step up to a higher-spec kit. For combined first aid + roadside breakdown response, the Trafalgar Vehicle First Aid and Breakdown Pack bundles first aid with road-incident response equipment.

Burns first aid kits — hot work compliance

Hot work environments — welding, foundry, kitchen, chemical handling, glass production, construction — require burns-specific first aid response. Burns dressing technique is different from standard wound care, and the materials needed (hydrogel, non-adherent burn dressings, large saline irrigation, body burn sheets) aren't routinely carried in standard kits.

The Trafalgar Burns First Aid Kit Large Portable (Soft Case) is the portable burns-specific option for mobile work. The Trafalgar Burns First Aid Kit Wall Mount (Plastic Case) is for permanent installation at hot-work areas — welding bays, foundry bays, chemical processing, kitchen back-of-house. The Trafalgar Burns Refill Pack handles content replenishment.

Typical burns kit augmentation:

• Hydrogel burn dressings (multiple sizes) — first-line dressing for thermal burns
• Non-adherent burn dressings — secondary cover
• Large saline irrigation bottles (250–500ml) — for prolonged cooling of large burns (the standard recommendation is 20+ minutes of cool running water for thermal burns)
• Body burn sheet / blanket — for larger surface area burns
• Cling film roll — clean, transparent burn cover for transport (allows paramedic visual inspection without removing dressing)
• Burns chart / reference card — body-area percentage estimation for paramedic handover

Hot-work compliance under AS 1674.1 (welding safety) and similar standards typically references the need for a burns-capable first aid response — this is one of the few first aid kit applications with explicit non-WHS regulatory backing.

Snake bite first aid — the AU-specific essential

Snake bite first aid is an Australian-specific essential for outdoor, mining, agricultural, remote, and rural workplaces. The treatment protocol (pressure-immobilisation technique) requires specific equipment that standard workplace kits don't carry. The cluster volume on "snake bite first aid kit" (500/mo AU) reflects the real workplace need.

The Australian Resuscitation Council and St John Ambulance protocol for suspected venomous snake bite:

1. Apply firm pressure bandage (10cm × 4–5m elasticated) over the bite site, then up the limb, covering as much as possible
2. Splint or immobilise the limb using a splint, triangular bandage, or improvised support
3. Mark bite location with a marker pen on the bandage so paramedics can identify it later
4. Note bite time + symptom onset — write on bandage or in incident log
5. Keep patient still — movement spreads venom faster
6. Call 000 + arrange ambulance / helicopter retrieval

The compression bandages, immobilisation supplies, and marker pens for this protocol are typically included in mining first aid kits (Trafalgar Mining range) or supplied as a separate snake bite kit. Standard low-risk workplace kits (city offices, retail) don't include them — appropriately, since the response time to medical help is short and snake encounter unlikely.

For workplaces with snake risk — agriculture, mining, construction in regional/remote AU, forestry, outdoor maintenance, parks/reserves — the Trafalgar Mining First Aid Kit (Large Wallmount) or Mining Portable includes snake bite response supplies. Augment with stand-alone snake bite kits at higher-risk zones.

Refill cycles + audit + content expiry

Workplace first aid kits aren't set-and-forget. Content expires; supplies get used in incidents; items get raided for personal use; sterile dressings degrade. The Code of Practice requires periodic inspection and replenishment. The standard practice in AU industry:

Common content expiry windows: saline ampoules (3 years from manufacture), antiseptic wipes (2–3 years), adhesive strips (5 years), sterile dressings (5 years), eye pads (5 years), nitrile gloves (3 years). Most content has a 3–5 year shelf life — but degrades faster in hot, humid, or sun-exposed kit locations.

Refill packs handle scheduled replenishment efficiently. The Trafalgar Mining First Aid Kit Refill Pack and Trafalgar Burns First Aid Kit Refill Pack are the standard scheduled-replenishment SKUs. Many AU first aid suppliers offer audit + refill subscription services; AIMS supplies kits and refills directly without subscription tie-in.

AED / defibrillator integration

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are increasingly standard at AU workplaces. The Code of Practice doesn't explicitly mandate AEDs at all workplaces, but the Safe Work Australia framework recommends them for sites with extended-time-to-paramedic-help, sites with ≥50 employees, and sites with high cardiac-risk worker demographics.

Industry guidelines (Australian Resuscitation Council, Heart Foundation) recommend AED placement so any employee can retrieve and apply within 3 minutes of a cardiac event. For larger sites, this means multiple AEDs distributed similarly to first aid kits.

AED placement considerations:

• Co-locate with first aid kits where possible — same wall mount, same signage path
• 3-minute access rule — distance from anywhere in workplace
• Trained operators — modern AEDs talk operators through use, but designated trained personnel reduce response time
• Maintenance — battery and pad replacement on schedule (typically pads every 2 years, batteries every 4–5 years)
• Signage — green AED symbol per AS 4488 and IEC 60601-2-4

AIMS doesn't currently stock AEDs as a standard line — these are typically sourced through specialist medical equipment suppliers. For AED-integrated workplace first aid systems, contact us; we can supply the kit + refills and refer for AED supply.

First aid signage + documentation requirements

Compliance documentation is the often-overlooked piece. The Code of Practice and AU WHS regulations require:

• First aid signage at kit location — green/white square with white cross per AS 1319-1994 Safety Signs
• Inspection card / register in or near each kit recording dates of inspection, restocking, content expiry checks
• First aid officer register identifying trained personnel with current HLTAID011 (Provide First Aid) or equivalent qualification
• First aid risk assessment documenting workplace hazard analysis informing kit selection and number
• Incident records of first aid events, injuries treated, supplies consumed
• Training records of first aid officer certification and renewal (HLTAID011 typically renews every 3 years, CPR every 12 months)

The "first aid kit sign" cluster on Google AU (450/mo, KD 0, CPC $110) reflects the regulatory requirement for visible signage at kit locations. AIMS supplies safety signage range alongside first aid kits.

AIMS first aid kit range

AIMS stocks 73+ first aid products at /collections/first-aid-kits-supplies. The brand mix sits with Trafalgar as the AU workplace market leader across the full industry-specific range, plus First Aiders Choice supplies and Brady consumables.

Workplace + industry-specific kits (Trafalgar):

• Trafalgar WM1 Workplace First Aid Kit ABS Wall Mount — the workhorse low-risk workplace kit
• Trafalgar HV1 Heavy Vehicle First Aid Kit — heavy vehicle / transport compliance
• Trafalgar Vehicle Low Risk First Aid Kit (Soft Case) — passenger fleet
• Trafalgar Vehicle First Aid and Breakdown Pack — combined first aid + roadside response
• Trafalgar Mining First Aid Kit (Large Wallmount ABS) — high-risk industrial wall-mount
• Trafalgar Mining First Aid Kit (Portable Polypropylene) — high-risk industrial portable
• Trafalgar Mining First Aid Kit Refill Pack — scheduled replenishment
• Trafalgar Burns First Aid Kit (Large Portable Soft Case) — hot work portable
• Trafalgar Burns First Aid Kit (Wall Mount Plastic Case) — hot work wall-mount
• Trafalgar Burns Refill Pack — scheduled replenishment
• Trafalgar Travel First Aid Kit (Soft Case) — work travel + sales force
• Trafalgar Survival First Aid Kit — emergency / disaster response

Individual supplies (top-up + DIY):

• First Aiders Choice Premium Plastic Strips 50-pack
• First Aiders Choice Finger and Knuckle Strip 40-pack
• First Aiders Choice Instant Ice Pack Large
• First Aiders Choice Reusable Hot/Cold Pack
• Brady Antibacterial Wipes 75 Sheets

For WHS compliance bundles — first aid kit + signage + safety register documentation — call us on (02) 9773 0122 or contact our team. We can match the right kit + refill schedule + complementary safety supplies (signage, eye-wash, AED referral) to your workplace risk profile.

Common workplace first aid mistakes

Selection checklist + how to order

A practical pre-order checklist:

1. Risk classification: low-risk (office, retail, light commercial) or high-risk (construction, mining, manufacturing, hot work) or remote/isolated (mining sites, regional agriculture, forestry).
2. Number of kits: at least one per workplace + one per separate area / floor + additional for high-risk zones + vehicle kits per work vehicle. Apply 30-metre rule.
3. Format: wall-mount (permanent installation, easy audit) vs portable (mobile crews, vehicles, field work).
4. Industry-specific augmentation: burns kit for hot work, mining kit for remote/high-risk, HV1 for heavy vehicle, snake bite supplies for outdoor.
5. Refill schedule: standing-order refill packs + 6-monthly content audit. Vendor audit service optional.
6. Signage: AS 1319 first aid sign at every kit location. Mark workplace map.
7. First aid officer: trained personnel with current HLTAID011 (Provide First Aid) qualification; CPR refresher every 12 months.
8. Documentation: inspection card in each kit + first aid risk assessment + incident register + training records.

For workplace WHS compliance bundles, AIMS can help size the right combination of kits, refills, and complementary safety supplies (signage, eye-wash, work gloves, hi-vis) to your workplace profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many first aid kits are required in the workplace in Australia?

The Code of Practice doesn't specify a fixed number — it requires "first aid equipment to be located at points of need". Practical rules: at least one kit minimum per workplace, one per separate work area, one per floor in multi-storey workplaces, additional kits for high-risk zones (welding bays, kitchen, chemical handling), one per work vehicle. The 30-metre rule applies — no worker should be more than 30 metres / one minute's walk from a first aid kit. For larger sites, a kit count of 5–20+ is common.

What is AS 2675?

AS 2675-1983 is the Australian Standard "Portable First Aid Kits for Use by Consumers" — it specifies content, packaging and marking of portable first aid kits. The standard is from 1983 and is dated, but it's still cited by suppliers and many compliance documents as the baseline content reference. For workplace first aid specifically, the more current Safe Work Australia "First Aid in the Workplace" Code of Practice supersedes AS 2675 as the operational framework, addressing risk assessment, location, signage, training, and refill cycles that AS 2675 doesn't cover.

What's the difference between AS 2675 and the Safe Work Australia Code of Practice?

AS 2675-1983 is a content standard — it specifies what items go in a portable kit. The Safe Work Australia "First Aid in the Workplace" Code of Practice is an operational framework — it specifies the risk assessment process, kit location, signage, training, refill cycles, and special-circumstance requirements (defibrillators, mining, transport). For a compliant workplace, you need a kit whose contents meet AS 2675 baseline AND a workplace system meeting the Code of Practice. Trafalgar workplace kits are designed to meet both — the kits comply with AS 2675 content; the wall-mount + inspection-card + signage approach supports Code of Practice compliance.

What's the difference between a low-risk and high-risk workplace first aid kit?

Low-risk workplace kits (Trafalgar WM1 or equivalent) cover the predictable injuries of office, retail, and light commercial environments — cuts, scrapes, sprains, headaches, minor burns. High-risk kits (Trafalgar Mining range, Burns kits) augment the standard contents with: larger trauma dressings, snake bite compression bandages, eye irrigation bottles, splints, body burn sheets, hydrogel burn dressings, tourniquets, additional thermal blankets, and incident-marker supplies. The risk classification comes from a workplace hazard assessment — examples of high-risk: construction, mining, manufacturing, kitchen, foundry, welding, agriculture.

What should a workplace first aid kit have?

The standard workplace kit baseline (covered by AS 2675 + Code of Practice) includes adhesive strips, sterile gauze pads in multiple sizes, conforming bandages, triangular bandages, saline ampoules for irrigation, antiseptic wipes, adhesive tape, disposable nitrile gloves, stainless steel tweezers and scissors, eye pads, burn dressings, CPR face shield, emergency thermal blanket, notebook + pen for incident logging, first aid manual, inspection card. High-risk workplaces add industry-specific augmentation per the risk assessment.

Where should a first aid kit be located in the workplace?

Code of Practice requirements: accessible to all workers without unlocking doors or moving obstacles; clearly identified by AS 1319 first aid signage (green/white square with white cross); not locked; at ergonomic height (1.4–1.7m above floor); visible in normal and emergency lighting; not exposed to extreme temperatures (avoid direct sun, near heaters, near doors); within 30m / one minute's walk from any worker. Wall-mount on key paths (corridors, kitchen walls, near main exits) is the AU standard.

Do employers have to offer a first aid kit at the workplace?

Yes — providing first aid equipment is a duty of every Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) under WHS Act 2011 and state-specific WHS regulations (NSW WHS Reg 42, Vic OHS Reg 3.1.4, Qld WHS Reg 42, etc). Failure to provide compliant first aid is a documentable WHS breach that can result in improvement notices, fines, and personal liability for officers under WHS Act Section 27. Even small businesses (single home-office consultancy) need a basic kit on premises.

What's special about a mining first aid kit?

Mining first aid kits address the specific hazards of remote, isolated industrial workplaces: extended time-to-paramedic-help (>30 minutes), snake/spider bite risk, dust + abrasion injuries, heat stress, crush + fracture injuries before professional medical arrival. They include compression bandages for snake bite pressure-immobilisation technique, larger eye irrigation bottles, splints + immobilisation supplies, trauma dressings + tourniquet for severe haemorrhage, marker pens for time-of-bite documentation, and survival/extended-care components. Trafalgar Mining First Aid Kits (Large Wallmount + Portable + Refill) cover the AU mining-spec range.

Do I need a first aid kit in my work vehicle?

Yes for most jurisdictions — work vehicles operating commercially must carry first aid. Passenger vehicles (utes, vans, sedans) need a low-risk vehicle kit (Trafalgar Vehicle Low Risk Soft Case is the standard). Heavy vehicles (prime movers, B-doubles, road trains) need an HV-spec kit (Trafalgar HV1 Heavy Vehicle) per road transport regulations. Combined first aid + roadside breakdown response is available in the Trafalgar Vehicle First Aid and Breakdown Pack. Each work vehicle counts as a "separate area" requiring its own kit.

What's a heavy vehicle (HV) first aid kit?

A heavy vehicle first aid kit is a transport-specific kit augmented for the injury patterns and response challenges of prime movers, B-doubles, road trains, and other heavy commercial vehicles. The Trafalgar HV1 Heavy Vehicle First Aid Kit is the AU compliance standard — it includes additional trauma dressings, tourniquet for severe haemorrhage, cervical immobilisation collar, larger thermal/emergency blankets, and burns kit components for engine/fuel-related burns. Road transport regulations mandate this kit format for heavy vehicles.

What's in a snake bite first aid kit?

Snake bite first aid kits address the Australian Resuscitation Council pressure-immobilisation technique for suspected venomous bites. Core contents: wide compression bandages (10cm × 4–5m elasticated, multiple), triangular bandages or splints for limb immobilisation, marker pen to mark bite location and time on bandage, casualty record card to log bite time and symptom onset, and emergency information card. Standard contents are typically integrated into mining first aid kits (Trafalgar Mining range) for outdoor/remote workplaces. Standalone snake bite kits are available for higher-risk zones — agricultural, forestry, construction in regional/remote AU.

How often should first aid kit contents be replaced?

Standard AU practice: visual check weekly or per shift; full content inventory + expiry check every 6 months (low-risk) to monthly (high-risk); restock immediately after any incident; annual full audit (often by the kit supplier as a service). Common content expiry: saline ampoules 3 years from manufacture, antiseptic wipes 2–3 years, adhesive strips 5 years, sterile dressings 5 years, eye pads 5 years, nitrile gloves 3 years. Hot, humid, or sun-exposed kits degrade contents faster — increase inspection frequency.

Do I need a defibrillator (AED) at my workplace?

The Code of Practice doesn't explicitly mandate AEDs at all workplaces, but Safe Work Australia recommends them for sites with extended-time-to-paramedic-help, sites with ≥50 employees, and high cardiac-risk worker demographics. Industry guidelines (Australian Resuscitation Council, Heart Foundation) recommend AED placement so any employee can retrieve and apply within 3 minutes of a cardiac event. For larger sites, multiple AEDs distributed similarly to first aid kits. AIMS can refer for AED supply through specialist medical equipment partners.

What's the difference between Trafalgar and St John first aid kits?

Trafalgar dominates the Australian workplace first aid market — kits designed for industrial, commercial, mining, transport, and construction compliance. St John Ambulance Australia is more associated with the consumer + retail market plus first aid training services. Both meet AU compliance standards; AIMS supplies the Trafalgar workplace range as the established AU industrial choice. The product specifications and content baselines are similar; the difference is brand market positioning rather than compliance level.

Are work-from-home employees entitled to a first aid kit?

This is an emerging area of WHS interpretation. Under some readings of state WHS regulations, the PCBU's duty to provide first aid equipment extends to home-based workers — meaning the employer should supply a basic kit for employees working from home. Adoption is variable across AU industries. The pragmatic position: provide a basic vehicle/travel-format kit (Trafalgar Travel or similar) for WFH employees as good practice, even if your jurisdiction's regulator hasn't issued explicit guidance. Consult your state's WHS regulator for current interpretation.

What's a burns first aid kit used for?

Burns first aid kits are augmented for the specific response to thermal, chemical, electrical, and radiation burns — the kinds of injuries that occur in welding, foundry, kitchen, hot-work, chemical handling, and similar environments. They include hydrogel burn dressings (multiple sizes), non-adherent burn dressings, large saline irrigation bottles (250–500ml) for prolonged cooling (the standard recommendation is 20+ minutes of cool running water), body burn sheets for larger surface area, cling film for transport (allows paramedic visual inspection), and burns chart for body-area percentage estimation. AS 1674.1 (welding safety) and similar standards typically reference burns response capability for hot-work compliance.