How Many First Aiders Do You Need on a Construction Site? (Australia)

If you're running a construction site in Australia, one of the first questions to answer is whether you have enough trained first aiders available when your workers need them. The commonly used benchmark is one first aider for every 25 workers in a high-risk workplace — but the actual first aid arrangements should be based on your workplace's risks, size, location and workforce.

How Many First Aiders Do You Need on a Construction Site?

Safe Work Australia's current first aid guidance recommends one first aider for every 25 workers in a high-risk workplace such as a construction site.

For a remote high-risk workplace where access to medical and ambulance services is not timely, the recommendation increases to one first aider for every 10 workers.

These figures are a useful starting point, but they aren't the whole story. Safe Work Australia says first aid needs should be determined through a risk assessment that considers factors including the hazards, size and location of the workplace, as well as the number and type of people working there.

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What Does 1 First Aider per 25 Workers Actually Mean?

The easiest way to think about the 1:25 recommendation is to look at how many people are working at the workplace and make sure appropriate first aid coverage is available whenever workers are present.

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First Aid Coverage Needs to Be Available When Workers Are There

One of the easy mistakes for businesses to make is counting trained first aiders who aren't actually available when work is being carried out.

Safe Work Australia states that workers should have access to first aid equipment, facilities and trained first aiders at all times, including during night shifts, overtime and when working outside the usual workplace.

So if your site operates multiple shifts, your first aid arrangements need to provide appropriate coverage across those periods. Having several trained people listed on a register doesn't help if none of them are available when an incident occurs.

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What About Remote and Regional Construction Sites?

Remote work changes the first aid equation because professional medical assistance may not be available quickly.

For a remote high-risk workplace, Safe Work Australia's guidance recommends one first aider for every 10 workers where there is not timely access to medical and ambulance services.

This is particularly relevant to some regional and remote construction projects, civil works, mining-related work and other locations where emergency services may be a significant distance away.

There isn't a simple nationwide rule saying that a site automatically becomes a 1:10 workplace because it is, for example, 15 minutes from an ambulance. The appropriate arrangement should be determined by considering the actual location, emergency response access and risks of the workplace.

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What Qualification Does a Workplace First Aider Need?

Safe Work Australia says workplace first aiders should hold a nationally recognised statement of attainment from a registered training organisation and attend training regularly to keep their knowledge current.

HLTAID011 Provide First Aid is the current nationally recognised unit of competency for providing first aid. However, businesses should check the training and currency requirements that apply to their particular workplace, industry and jurisdiction rather than assuming one qualification automatically covers every situation.

• HLTAID011 is the current nationally recognised Provide First Aid unit
• First aiders should keep their knowledge and skills current through regular training
• CPR refresher training is generally recommended every 12 months
• First aid refresher training is generally recommended every 3 years
• Remote or higher-risk workplaces may require additional or more specialised training

For remote or isolated work, additional training may be appropriate depending on the risks and circumstances of the workplace. Always check the requirements that apply to your particular operation.

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How Many First Aid Kits Do You Need?

Having enough trained first aiders is only one part of the equation. Workers also need access to appropriate first aid equipment.

Safe Work Australia says workplaces must have at least one first aid kit and recommends considering additional kits where a workplace is spread out so that kits remain easily accessible.

For a large construction site, this is an important practical consideration. A single kit sitting in the site office isn't much use to a crew working at the opposite end of the project.

Your risk assessment should consider where workers are located and how quickly they can reach first aid equipment in an emergency.

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What Should Your Construction First Aid Kits Contain?

The contents of your first aid kit should reflect the hazards and injuries that could reasonably occur at your workplace. Safe Work Australia recommends considering the risks identified through your first aid assessment rather than simply buying the same kit for every workplace.

For construction environments, that can mean looking for supplies suitable for common worksite risks such as cuts, wounds, eye injuries and burns, while also considering any site-specific hazards.

That's where a construction-specific kit can make more sense than a basic office or household kit.

The Trade Aid Classic Kit is designed as a larger worksite first aid kit for construction, trade and industrial environments, while the Trade Aid Compact Kit is designed for individual tradies, vehicles and portable use.

Both are organised into labelled sections and built using 5mm weatherproof rip-stop material, making them suited to the tougher conditions commonly found around worksites.

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What Should a Construction Site First Aid Setup Look Like?

For a practical starting point, work through these questions as part of your first aid risk assessment:

• How many workers, contractors and other people are normally at the workplace?
• What are the main hazards and types of injuries that could occur?
• Is the workplace high-risk?
• Is the workplace remote or difficult for emergency services to access?
• Are trained first aiders available whenever workers are present?
• Can workers quickly access a first aid kit from wherever they are working?
• Do you need multiple kits because the workplace is spread out?
• Does the site require a dedicated first aid room?
• Are first aiders' training and skills current?
• Are the kits checked and restocked regularly?

These questions will give you a much better picture of whether your current first aid arrangements are actually appropriate for your workplace.

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Don't Forget About First Aiders Who Are Away

It's good practice to avoid relying on one person as the only trained first aider on a site.

People take annual leave, call in sick, move between work areas and occasionally leave the business. Having additional trained workers can make it easier to maintain appropriate first aid coverage when the usual first aider isn't available.

The exact number you choose should be guided by your risk assessment, workforce size, operating hours and site conditions.

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First Aid Is More Than Just Meeting a Number

The 1:25 figure is useful, but it shouldn't become a box-ticking exercise.

A construction project with 25 workers spread across a large site with significant hazards may need a different first aid setup from a smaller, straightforward project with the same number of people.

Safe Work Australia's approach is risk-based: consider the hazards, size, location and people at the workplace, then make sure workers can access appropriate first aid equipment, facilities and trained first aiders when they need them.

That's the standard your first aid setup should be designed around.

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