Where should workplace first aid kits be located?

Put workplace first aid kits where workers can identify and reach them quickly, including during every shift; place them near higher-risk work when a central kit would be too far away.

Walk the route from each work area

Walk from each work area to its nearest kit. Could someone find it without crossing a hazard, waiting for a key or relying on a person who may be away? Keep kits visible, accessible and close to higher-risk work; this is Safe Work Australia’s model guidance for kit locations.

• For multistorey workplaces, the model Code gives the example of at least one kit on every second floor. Put kit locations on the workplace’s emergency floor plan.
• Workers in security-controlled areas still need access. Make the route and access arrangements work for every shift.
• Where a vehicle is a mobile worker’s workplace, provide a portable kit and secure it so it cannot become a projectile in a collision.

Make the location easy to find

Use clear first aid signage, keep the route unobstructed and show each kit on current workplace plans. Tell workers where kits are during induction and whenever a kit moves. A locked cupboard only works if workers can open it on every shift.

Check a split-site example

Suppose a workplace has an office, a ground-floor workshop and a separate storage building. Test whether workers can reach the office kit from the workshop or storage building quickly and without passing through a hazardous area. If not, place a kit closer to that area and update the signs and plan. Recheck the routes when the layout or shift pattern changes.

Review access when the site changes

Include location in the regular kit check: confirm the kit is where the plan says, the route is clear and workers on all shifts know how to reach it. For help deciding how many kits to place, see how many workplace kits are needed. To match contents to the work, read what belongs in a workplace first aid kit.