Your summer first aid checklist for Australian workplaces

Summer changes what your first aid needs to cover. Longer days outdoors, higher temperatures, snakes on the move and bushfire smoke all raise the risks your teams face between December and February.

Under the model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace, your first aid should match the hazards identified in your risk assessment. When the season changes the hazards, your kits, equipment and first aiders should change with them. This checklist walks you through what to review before summer starts, so every site is ready when it counts.

The summer checklist

Work through each item for every site, vehicle and remote crew. Tick it off once it is done.

Review your risk assessment. Add summer hazards such as heat, snakes and spiders, UV exposure, bushfire smoke and more time spent working outdoors. Note any sites that are remote or far from emergency services. Stock snake bite bandages. Outdoor, rural and remote crews need compression bandages for pressure immobilisation. Check there is enough for one bite on a limb, and that first aiders know how to apply them. Top up burn care. Kitchens, hot work, BBQ areas and long hours in the sun all lead to burns. Make sure burn dressings and gel are in date and easy to reach. Plan for heat illness. Keep water, shade and cooling packs available for outdoor teams. Make sure staff can spot the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke early. Check eye wash stations. Dust, debris and bushfire smoke peak over summer. Confirm eye wash is in date, clearly signed and close to where the risk is. Stock wound dressings. Outdoor jobs mean more cuts from tools, fencing and sheet metal. Non-adherent dressings suit most cuts, and larger trauma dressings help remote crews control heavy bleeding. Check your defibrillator. Make sure your AED is in its signed location, the status light shows it is ready, and the pads and battery are in date. Consider whether remote or high-risk sites need one of their own. Check vehicle kits. Utes and work vehicles heat up fast. Check contents for damage and expiry, and restock anything used over the year. Restock before shutdown. Check use-by dates and refill kits before the Christmas break, so sites reopen ready in January with no gaps on day one.

Brief your team

The right kit only helps if people know where it is and how to use it. Before summer, run a short toolbox talk that covers:

where each first aid kit, eye wash station and defibrillator is kept
who your trained first aiders are on each shift and site
how to recognise heat illness and snake bite, and what to do while help is on the way
when to call 000, and the site address or GPS location for remote crews

Check your first aiders' training is current, and that you have enough of them for summer rosters, casual staff and holiday cover.

Not sure what your workplace needs?

Take our free 3 minute compliance check. Answer a few quick questions and get personalised kit recommendations based on your risk level and number of workers.

Ready to restock? Browse our workplace first aid essentials, or talk to our sales team on 1800 13 12 11 or at sales@fastaid.com.au.

Your summer first aid checklist for Australian workplaces

The summer checklist

Brief your team

Not sure what your workplace needs?

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