Not having a qualified First Aider around is no big deal if someone sprains an ankle, but it can make for very uncomfortable times should something happen that leads to interest from a regulator (not to mention for the person whose injured!).
Having First Aid arrangements in place is something all WA workplaces are required to do. A common issue we find when auditing is confusion about how many first aiders the workplace needs.
The approved Code of Practice for First Aid in WA doesn’t advise how many First Aiders a workplace needs. It recommends a risk assessment, and outlines different factors to consider. The National Code of Practice (applicable in most other states, and a valid reference in WA) also recommends a risk assessment, but provides some more prescriptive guidance that is well worth considering in your risk assessment. Here’s what the National Code recommends:
Low Risk Workplace – 1 First Aider : 50 workers
High Risk Workplace – 1 First Aider : 25 workers
Remote Workplace – 1 First Aider : 10 workers
The key outcome is that first aid is available from someone competent (it doesn’t have to be an employee) to people in your workplace whenever the place is operational.
General Guidance on First Aid
WorkSafe – WA First Aid Info Page
https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe/first-aid-0
Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice – First Aid in the Workplace March 2015
http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/about/publications/pages/first-aid-in-the-workplace
WA Schools
Department of Education (WA) – Guidelines for First Aid in Department Workplaces February 2013
