Location and Access

A first aid facility should be located as near as practicable to the work area or areas it is to serve. It should be a room within a building or, if this is not practicable, a tent, vehicle , or other suitable structure.

The first aid facility should be designed and located for easy entrance to and exit from the facility for a worker requiring stretcher transport. A stretcher should not have to be tipped or turned to enter or exit the first aid facility.

In remote areas, building a first aid facility may not be practicable. However, the facility should be at least of the same design and construction as workers' lodgings. If trailers are provided for workers' lodgings, a trailer should be provided for the first aid facility.

When a tent is used, it should: -Be of the same size and have the same equipment as a first aid room or dressing station, as appropriate

• Be fitted with a non-porous floor that can be cleaned with soap and water
• Have a source of heat that will provide sufficient warmth for good patient care (maintaining body temperature) A first aid facility may be locked to prevent theft and vandalism or for other appropriate reasons. If so, there must be effective means of immediate access during all working hours.

Utilities

The facility should be adequately illuminated, heated, and ventilated. It should have a sink plumbed with hot and cold running water or, if this is not practicable, an alternative system for supplying fresh, potable water. If showering may be required treatment for chemical exposure, the facility should have a shower or have a shower facility as near as practicable.

It may be impracticable to plumb a first aid facility in certain situations, such as where the facility is a trailer on a construction site or the work is at a remote location. In these cases, one of the following alternative sources or water, with means to heat it, may be considered until a permanent source of water can be connected: The facility has an internal tank able to hold a minimum of 45 litres (10 gallons) of fresh potable water which can be pumped into the facility's sink. The water in this tank must be changed daily, or changed weekly if treated for the prevention of contamination.

• The facility is connected to a hose or water line from a fresh potable water outlet that can be pumped into the facility's sink.
• The facility has an insulated container able to hold about 20 litres (5 gallons) of fresh potable water changed daily to prevent contamination.
• A fresh water supply company provides fresh water in a bottle or jug attached to a hot/cold dispenser. Other recommendations

Since the facility must be kept clean and sanitary, a non-porous floor covering is recommended.

The facility should have a notice conspicuously displayed outside the door or in the area, indicating how to call and where to find the attendant.

The first aid facility is also subject to the general requirements relating to workplace premises in the OHS Regulation.

Using a first aid facility for purposes other than first aid.

A first aid facility may be used for purposes other than first aid it:

• It is immediately available for first aid treatment
• The facility is not at a remote workplace (more than two hours' surface travel from a hospital)
• The minimum floor area needed for first aid is maintained
• Such use will neither impede the treatment of an injured worker nor pose a hazard to workers

In addition to the above recommendations, a first aid room should be at least 9.3 square metres (100 sq ft). It should have:

• Storage cupboards
• A counter
• A toilet, or have a toilet facility as near as practicable

At a remote workplace (more than 2 hours' surface travel time to a hospital), a first aid room should be equipped to provide reasonable overnight care for two injured workers and be used exclusively for first aid purposes.