A first aid kit can sit on a wall or behind the seat of a work ute looking perfectly ready to use. Until somebody opens it and discovers the large dressing was used three months ago, the saline has expired and there is one glove left. Giving someone clear responsibility for checking the kit helps prevent that.
A workplace should clearly assign responsibility for checking and maintaining its first aid kits. WorkSafe WA recommends giving this responsibility to a trained first aider where possible. The business still has the underlying duty to ensure workers have access to suitable first aid equipment, so putting someone's name on the checklist does not transfer that responsibility away from the PCBU.
First aid kit maintenance is one of those small workplace jobs that can easily fall between the cracks.
Everyone assumes somebody else has checked it. A worker grabs a dressing after cutting their hand, another person takes a few bandaids, somebody uses the saline and the kit gets zipped back up. From the outside, nothing has changed.
Then the next person opens it during an actual incident and discovers that some of the supplies they expected to find aren't there.
The easiest way to avoid that situation is surprisingly simple: make it clear who is responsible for the kit.
So, Who Should Check a Workplace First Aid Kit?
WorkSafe WA recommends assigning responsibility for checking and maintaining first aid kits to a trained first aider where possible.
That makes practical sense. A trained first aider is already familiar with the equipment, is more likely to notice if something important is missing and understands what may have been used following an incident.
It doesn't necessarily mean the same person has to physically check every first aid kit across a large business.
A company with a workshop, office, fleet vehicles and several active sites may assign different people to different kits. What matters is that responsibility is clear rather than assumed.
Put a name against the job
"The safety team checks them" is vague. "Sam checks the workshop kit and vehicle kits on the first Monday of our inspection cycle" is much clearer. The exact system will vary between workplaces, but somebody should know which kits they are responsible for.
Does the First Aider Become Legally Responsible for the Kit?
This is where it helps to separate the person doing the task from the broader workplace health and safety duty.
Under the WHS framework, the person conducting a business or undertaking, commonly called the PCBU, has duties around providing workers with access to suitable first aid equipment, facilities and trained first aid support.
A workplace can nominate a first aider, supervisor or another suitable person to carry out inspections and restocking. That doesn't mean the business has handed its entire first aid responsibility to that worker.
Think of the nominated person as the person responsible for carrying out the maintenance process within the workplace's broader first aid arrangements.
What Should the Person Checking the Kit Actually Look For?
Checking a first aid kit should involve more than opening the lid and seeing whether it looks full.
Some supplies are small enough that their absence isn't obvious. Others may still be sitting in the kit even though their sterile packaging has been damaged or their expiry date has passed.
A useful inspection works through the contents systematically.
- Missing items: Compare the kit against its inventory and replace supplies that have been used.
- Expiry dates: Check dated medical supplies and identify anything that has expired or is approaching replacement.
- Sterile packaging: Make sure sealed products haven't been opened, torn or tampered with.
- Condition: Look for supplies that have deteriorated, become contaminated or are no longer suitable for use.
- Reusable equipment: Check items such as scissors and tweezers are present and in usable condition.
- The bag or cabinet: Look for damage, dust, moisture or anything affecting protection of the supplies.
- Accessibility: Make sure workers can still reach the kit quickly and it hasn't been blocked, moved or hidden.
- Inventory record: Update, sign and date the inventory after the check.
That last point is useful for more than paperwork. A signed and dated inventory gives the next person a reference point. Instead of wondering whether anyone has looked at the kit recently, they can see when it was last inspected.
How Often Should Workplace First Aid Kits Be Checked?
There is a lot of conflicting advice online about this. You'll see monthly checks, quarterly checks and six monthly checks presented as though one of them is a universal Australian rule.
That's not quite how the current guidance works.
Safe Work Australia's Model Code recommends regular checks after each use or, if the kit hasn't been used, at least once every 12 months. WorkSafe WA similarly says that an unused kit should be checked at least annually.
Twelve months should not be read as a reason to ignore an actively used kit for a year.
A Busy Workshop and a Quiet Office Aren't the Same
Imagine one first aid kit in a small office that hasn't been opened all year, and another in a workshop where bandaids, gloves and dressings are regularly used.
Waiting twelve months to inspect the workshop kit wouldn't make much practical sense. Its usage and work environment justify a more active checking routine.
The frequency should make sense for how the kit is actually being used, with supplies replaced as soon as practicable after use.
Should a First Aid Kit Be Checked After Someone Uses It?
Yes. This is one of the most useful habits a workplace can establish.
If somebody uses a dressing, pair of gloves, burn treatment or other supply, the kit is no longer stocked exactly as it was before the incident. The item may need replacing before the next person needs it.
That doesn't necessarily require a complete formal audit every time somebody takes a single bandaid. The important part is having a system that captures usage and gets supplies replaced promptly.
After a more significant incident, though, opening the kit and properly checking what was used is worthwhile. Several dressings, gloves, gauze pads and bandages can disappear during one response.
We cover that process in more detail in our guide to restocking a first aid kit after a workplace injury.
Don't Just Check the Expiry Dates
Expiry dates matter, particularly for sterile medical supplies, but they aren't the only reason something may need replacing.
A dressing with another two years left on its date isn't much use if its packaging has split. Saline shouldn't remain in the kit after its sealed container has been opened. Supplies stored badly can also be affected before their printed expiry date.
A good inspection therefore asks two separate questions:
Is it still in date?
Check expiry dates on applicable medical supplies and replace anything that is no longer within its usable period.
Is it still in good condition?
Check packaging, cleanliness and physical condition. An item can need replacing even when the date printed on it hasn't passed.
Check the Bag or Cabinet While You're There
One of the easiest things to miss during a first aid inspection is the thing holding all the supplies.
If the kit is portable, run the zip and check the outer material, stitching and handles. If it's kept in a cabinet or wall mounted box, open it properly and look inside rather than inspecting it through the door.
We've seen firsthand how much dust can accumulate inside workplace first aid storage while the box still looks reasonably normal from the outside.
If you find dust, moisture or damaged packaging inside, that deserves attention. The first aid supplies need to remain protected while they wait to be used.
Our guide to wall mounted first aid kit problems shows a real example of this, while our article on first aid kit zip quality on dusty worksites looks specifically at portable bags and closures.
Who Should Check First Aid Kits in Work Vehicles?
Vehicle kits are particularly easy to forget because they aren't sitting in one central first aid area.
A plumbing company with ten vans could have ten separate kits moving around the city every day. A civil or mining business may have first aid supplies spread between light vehicles, mobile plant, workshops and site offices.
In that situation, simply saying "the first aider checks the kits" may not be enough. The business needs a practical way of knowing which person checks which vehicle.
Depending on the operation, that could mean a nominated first aider checking all vehicle kits, a supervisor working through them as part of a scheduled inspection, or vehicle custodians reporting used or damaged supplies into a central restocking process.
The exact system matters less than making sure no kit disappears from the maintenance schedule simply because it has four wheels underneath it.
What About Multiple Sites?
The same issue gets bigger when a business operates across several locations.
A construction company may have a head office, warehouse, several active sites and a fleet of vehicles. A mining operation can have workshops, crib rooms, offices, underground work areas and mobile equipment spread over a much larger area.
Trying to manage every kit from memory becomes difficult fairly quickly.
A simple register can make the process much easier. It doesn't need to be complicated.
- Give each first aid kit a location or identification number
- Record who is responsible for checking it
- Record the date of the last inspection
- Record supplies that need replacing
- Confirm the restocking has actually been completed
For a small business with two kits, that might be a simple checklist. For a company managing dozens of vehicles and sites, a spreadsheet or digital register may make more sense.
What Happens When Something Is Missing?
Finding a missing item is only useful if somebody actually replaces it.
This sounds obvious, but it's where a lot of inspection systems become unnecessarily clunky. Someone identifies that the kit needs three dressings, gloves and more bandaids, writes it on a sheet and puts the kit back on the wall. The inspection happened, but the problem hasn't been fixed.
Ideally, commonly used replacement supplies are already available or there is a clear process for ordering them. Used items should be replaced as soon as practicable rather than waiting for the next scheduled inspection.
You also don't necessarily need to throw away a perfectly good first aid bag because some of the consumables have been used or expired.
Do You Need to Replace the Whole First Aid Kit?
Usually, no.
If the bag and reusable equipment are still in good condition, it generally makes more sense to replace the individual consumables that are missing, damaged or expired.
Bandaids, gauze, gloves, wound dressings, bandages and other commonly used supplies can be replenished while keeping the existing kit.
Replacing the entire kit makes more sense when the enclosure itself is damaged, the kit no longer suits the workplace or so much of the equipment needs replacing that starting again is the practical option.
Use It. Report It. Replace It.
The best first aid kit inspection system isn't necessarily the one with the most paperwork.
Make it easy for workers to report when supplies have been used. Give someone clear responsibility for checking the kit. Replace what's missing and record that the check has been completed.
The goal is simple: when somebody opens the kit during the next incident, the equipment they expect to find should actually be there.
A Simple Workplace First Aid Kit Inspection Routine
For many businesses, a straightforward process is enough.
- Nominate who is responsible for each kit
- Check the kit after significant use and replace used supplies promptly
- Set a regular inspection frequency that suits the workplace and how often the kit is used
- Ensure an unused kit is still checked at least annually
- Compare the contents against the inventory
- Check expiry dates and sterile packaging
- Inspect the condition of the bag, cabinet and reusable equipment
- Restock missing, expired or damaged supplies
- Sign and date the inventory or inspection record
The system can be scaled up or down. A sole trader with one kit behind the seat of the ute doesn't need the same administrative process as a national contractor with hundreds of vehicles. Both still benefit from knowing when their first aid supplies were last checked.
Restock the Kit You Already Have
If an inspection finds that the bag is still in good condition but the consumables need topping up, you don't necessarily need another complete first aid kit.
The Trade Aid First Aid Kit Refill contains commonly used supplies including bandaids, wound dressings, gauze, bandages, gloves, eye pads and burn care items so existing workplace, vehicle and worksite kits can be replenished.
For businesses managing multiple kits across vehicles, workshops or worksites, our business and bulk supply options can also help simplify larger restocking requirements.
Whatever system you use, check your existing kit against the first aid equipment required for your workplace rather than assuming a generic refill automatically contains everything your particular risk assessment calls for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for checking workplace first aid kits?
The workplace should clearly assign responsibility for checking and maintaining its first aid kits. WorkSafe WA recommends assigning the task to a trained first aider where possible. The PCBU retains its broader WHS duties to ensure workers have access to appropriate first aid equipment and support.
How often should a workplace first aid kit be checked?
Safe Work Australia's Model Code recommends checking kits after use and, where a kit has not been used, at least once every 12 months. More frequent checks may be appropriate for workplaces where kits are used regularly or exposed to demanding conditions.
Do first aid kits legally need to be checked every month?
There is not a universal Australian rule requiring every workplace first aid kit to be inspected monthly. Inspection arrangements should reflect the workplace and applicable WHS requirements. Current model guidance recommends checks after use and at least annually where the kit has remained unused.
What should be checked in a workplace first aid kit?
Check that required supplies are present, items are in good condition and within their expiry dates, sterile packaging remains sealed, reusable equipment is usable and the bag or cabinet is in suitable condition. The inventory should also be updated, signed and dated after the check.
Should first aid supplies be replaced after they are used?
Yes. Used supplies should be replaced as soon as practicable so the kit remains ready for the next incident. A larger incident may justify checking the complete kit to see exactly what was used.
Do expired first aid supplies need to be replaced?
Items with expiry dates should be checked and replaced when they are no longer within their usable period. Supplies should also be replaced if packaging has been opened or damaged, or if an item has deteriorated even though its printed expiry date has not yet passed.
Do I need to replace the whole first aid kit when supplies expire?
Not necessarily. If the bag and reusable equipment remain suitable, individual consumables can usually be replaced as needed. A complete replacement may be appropriate if the enclosure is damaged, the kit no longer suits the workplace or extensive replacement is required.
This article provides general information only and is not workplace specific WHS or legal advice. First aid arrangements should reflect the hazards, workers, location and nature of the work, along with the WHS laws and guidance applying in your jurisdiction. Safe Work Australia develops national policy and model guidance but is not a workplace health and safety regulator.