Panadol, Nurofen and other everyday painkillers might seem like useful additions to a workplace first aid kit. Australian first aid guidance takes a more cautious approach to supplying medication at work.
Safe Work Australia’s Model Code of Practice recommends that medication, including analgesics such as paracetamol and aspirin, should not be included in workplace first aid kits. Workers who require prescription or over-the-counter medicines should generally carry their own medication for personal use.
It is a common workplace question. Someone has a headache, sore back or minor injury, so it seems logical to keep a packet of Panadol or Nurofen beside the bandages and dressings.
But a workplace first aid kit is different from the medicine cupboard you might keep at home.
Safe Work Australia’s Model Code of Practice: First Aid in the Workplace recommends that medication, including analgesics such as paracetamol and aspirin, should not be included in workplace first aid kits.
The reasons include the possibility of adverse health effects in some people and the fact that the supply of medication may also be affected by state or territory drugs and poisons laws.
What Does Safe Work Australia Say About Medication in First Aid Kits?
Safe Work Australia provides national model guidance for workplace first aid. The example first aid kit contents in the Model Code specifically address medication.
The guidance recommends that:
- medication should not generally be included in workplace first aid kits
- this includes analgesics such as paracetamol and aspirin
- medication can cause adverse health effects in some people
- the supply of medicines may be controlled by state or territory drugs and poisons laws
- workers requiring prescription or over-the-counter medicines should carry their own medication for personal use
It is important to understand the wording here.
Safe Work Australia’s Model Code uses the word “should” to describe the recommended approach. Safe Work Australia is not a workplace regulator, and the legal status of Codes of Practice can vary between jurisdictions.
So this should not be interpreted as meaning that simply having a packet of Panadol somewhere at work is automatically illegal throughout Australia.
Can You Put Panadol in a Workplace First Aid Kit?
Panadol is a common brand of paracetamol.
Paracetamol is specifically named in Safe Work Australia’s first aid guidance as an example of an analgesic that should not be included in a workplace first aid kit.
If you are setting up a workplace kit based on the Model Code guidance, Panadol or another paracetamol product should therefore not form part of the standard first aid kit contents.
That is different from an individual worker carrying their own paracetamol for personal use where it is appropriate for them.
What About Nurofen or Ibuprofen?
Nurofen is a common brand containing ibuprofen.
Safe Work Australia specifically names paracetamol and aspirin as examples, but the recommendation is broader than those two products. It refers to medication, including analgesics, generally.
Ibuprofen is also an analgesic, so it falls within the broader category of pain-relieving medication that should not generally be included as a standard workplace first aid kit item.
Again, this is different from a worker bringing their own over-the-counter medicine for their personal use.
Why Aren't Painkillers Recommended in Workplace First Aid Kits?
The issue is not that common painkillers are inherently unsafe. The issue is that a communal workplace first aid kit may be used by people with very different medical histories and circumstances.
- A medicine suitable for one person may not be suitable for another
- Some medicines can interact with other medication
- Some health conditions can make particular medicines unsuitable
- Pregnancy can affect which medicines may be appropriate
- Incorrect dosage or repeat dosing can create additional risk
- A first aider may not know what medication the worker has already taken
A workplace first aider is there to provide immediate first aid within their level of training. Supplying a communal medication is quite different from using a dressing, controlling bleeding or irrigating an eye.
Does This Mean Employees Can't Take Panadol at Work?
No.
There is an important difference between a business stocking medication as part of a communal first aid kit and a worker carrying medication for their own personal use.
Safe Work Australia’s guidance says workers who require prescribed or over-the-counter medicines should carry their own medication for personal use as necessary.
The key distinction:
Personal medication belongs with the person who uses it rather than being treated as a standard communal first aid kit item.
Can a Workplace Keep Medication Somewhere Other Than the First Aid Kit?
This is where the answer becomes more dependent on the workplace and the state or territory.
Safe Work Australia’s first aid guidance addresses what should be included in the workplace first aid kit. It does not create one national rule covering every possible workplace arrangement involving medicines.
State and territory laws can affect the supply, storage and administration of medicines.
If a business wants to make communal medication available outside the first aid kit, it should check the requirements that apply in its jurisdiction rather than assuming that an over-the-counter medicine can automatically be supplied by the workplace.
What About Prescription Medication?
Prescription medicines are personal to the person for whom they have been prescribed and should not be treated as general workplace first aid supplies.
Workers who require prescription medication should manage it in accordance with the directions provided by their doctor, pharmacist and the medication itself.
Some workplaces may also need to consider individual medical needs as part of emergency planning, particularly where a known condition could require assistance during an emergency.
That is different from stocking prescription medicines for general use in a workplace first aid kit.
What About Emergency Medication Such as Asthma Inhalers or EpiPens?
Safe Work Australia’s guidance makes an important distinction between ordinary analgesics and certain emergency treatments.
The Model Code says workplaces may consider including an asthma-relieving inhaler and spacer for asthma attacks and an epinephrine auto-injector for anaphylaxis.
Where these items are provided, they should be stored according to the manufacturer’s instructions and first aiders should receive appropriate training.
If emergency medication is provided, consider:
- whether it is appropriate for the risks and people at the workplace
- where and how it will be stored
- expiry date checks
- whether workers and first aiders know where it is located
- any additional training required for its use
What Should Be in a Workplace First Aid Kit Instead?
A workplace first aid kit should focus on equipment that helps a first aider respond to injuries and illnesses that could reasonably occur at that workplace.
Safe Work Australia provides an example contents list, but the final contents should be determined by the workplace risk assessment.
- dressings and wound pads
- bandages
- adhesive dressings
- eye pads and saline
- disposable gloves
- scissors
- an emergency blanket
- burn treatment supplies where burn risks are present
- additional equipment required for specific workplace hazards
The exact setup will vary. A small office, construction site, workshop, work vehicle and remote worksite may require different first aid arrangements.
For a detailed breakdown, see our first aid kit contents checklist for Australian workplaces.
What If a Worker Is in Pain After a Workplace Injury?
If someone is in pain following an injury, the priority should be assessing what has happened rather than automatically reaching for pain relief.
Significant or increasing pain may indicate an injury that requires further assessment.
Depending on the incident, appropriate first aid may involve controlling bleeding, protecting the injured area, cooling a burn, calling emergency services or arranging medical assessment.
For serious injuries, severe symptoms or a medical emergency, call Triple Zero (000).
A Worker Asks the First Aider for Panadol
Imagine a worker on a construction site develops a headache halfway through the shift and asks the first aider whether there is any Panadol in the first aid kit.
The workplace has set up its kits in line with the Model Code guidance, so analgesics are not stocked as part of the communal first aid supplies.
That does not mean the worker is prohibited from using Panadol. If they carry their own over-the-counter medication and it is appropriate for them to take it, that is different from the first aider supplying medication from the workplace kit.
The first aider should also consider whether the headache could be connected to something more serious. A severe or unusual headache, heat exposure, a recent head injury, confusion, fainting or other concerning symptoms may require proper assessment rather than simply pain relief.
What Should You Do if There Is Already Panadol in Your Workplace First Aid Kit?
If your workplace currently keeps communal painkillers inside the first aid kit, it is worth reviewing the arrangement rather than simply leaving them there because they have always been included.
- Review your workplace first aid risk assessment
- Check the current first aid guidance applicable to your jurisdiction
- Review whether analgesics should be removed from the standard first aid kit
- Check any state or territory requirements relevant to supplying medicines at work
- Make sure workers understand the distinction between personal medication and communal first aid supplies
- Check that the actual first aid equipment in the kit is complete, undamaged and in date
- Replace any used or missing first aid supplies promptly
If supplies have been used or are running low, our Complete Kit Refill can be used to replenish commonly used Trade Aid Kit consumables without replacing the entire kit.
So, Can You Put Panadol or Ibuprofen in a Workplace First Aid Kit?
Safe Work Australia recommends that ordinary pain-relieving medication should not be included as part of a workplace first aid kit.
The Model Code specifically names paracetamol and aspirin as examples of analgesics that should not be included, while the recommendation more broadly applies to medication and analgesics.
Workers who require prescription or over-the-counter medicines should generally carry their own medication for personal use.
Businesses should also remember that medicines and poisons laws vary between Australian states and territories, so any separate workplace medication arrangement should be checked against the requirements that apply locally.
Keep Your Workplace First Aid Kit Focused on First Aid
A good workplace first aid kit should be easy to access, appropriate for the hazards of the job and maintained so that the equipment is ready when it is needed.
Trade Aid Kits offers portable first aid options designed for tradies, work vehicles, workshops and job sites.
For a smaller portable option, see the Trade Aid Compact Kit.
For a larger setup with a broader range of workplace first aid supplies, see the Trade Aid Classic Kit.
Existing Trade Aid Kits can be replenished with the Complete Kit Refill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you keep Panadol in a workplace first aid kit in Australia?
Safe Work Australia’s Model Code recommends that medication including analgesics such as paracetamol should not be included in workplace first aid kits. Panadol contains paracetamol, so it should not generally form part of the standard workplace first aid kit contents.
Can you keep Nurofen in a workplace first aid kit?
Nurofen contains ibuprofen, which is an analgesic. Although Safe Work Australia specifically names paracetamol and aspirin as examples, its recommendation applies more broadly to medication and analgesics, so ibuprofen should not generally be included as a standard first aid kit item.
Is it illegal to have Panadol at work?
Not simply because Panadol is present in a workplace. The Model Code recommends that analgesics are not included in first aid kits, while the supply of medicines may also be affected by state and territory medicines or poisons laws. Workers may carry their own over-the-counter medication for personal use.
Can a first aider give an employee painkillers?
A workplace should not assume that supplying painkillers forms part of ordinary first aid. Safe Work Australia recommends keeping analgesics out of first aid kits, and the supply of medication can also be subject to jurisdiction-specific requirements.
Can employees bring their own medication to work?
Safe Work Australia’s Model Code says workers requiring prescribed or over-the-counter medicines should carry their own medication for personal use as necessary.
Can asthma inhalers or EpiPens be kept for emergencies?
Safe Work Australia says workplaces may consider an asthma-relieving inhaler with a spacer and an epinephrine auto-injector for emergency treatment. These should be stored according to the manufacturer’s instructions and first aiders should receive appropriate training.
This article provides general information about workplace first aid in Australia and is not legal or medical advice. Safe Work Australia publishes model guidance and is not a WHS regulator. The legal status of Codes of Practice and medicines legislation varies between jurisdictions, so businesses should check the requirements that apply in their state or territory.