Purpose
To provide guidance on the selection and application of first aid kits in vehicles.
Scope
This guideline applies to all Company staff including- contractors, sub-contractors, apprentices, trainees, work experience students or volunteers.
Guidelines
Vehicle first aid kits can be an important addition to a vehicle.
It is the responsibility of each agency to decide if a first aid kit is needed for a vehicle and what each kit should contain.
Risk assessment
This decision should be based on a risk assessment performed in consultation with the agency’s first aid officers and Workplace Health and Safety Committee. The risk assessment should determine if a first aid kit is needed and if any special items are to be included. For example, a metropolitan courier driver may need a different vehicle first aid kit to a field worker who regularly uses a chainsaw and may be at risk from snakebite.
Issues the risk assessment should consider include:
- the type of driving and work being undertaken
- the risk of injury or death
- the distance from ambulance services and their likely call out times
- the availability of other medical support
- remote locality considerations
- first aid qualifications.
To be effective, first aid kits in vehicles must be managed in the same way as any other workplace-based first aid kit.
The kit should be:
- conveniently located and easily accessible
- Equipped with single-use, disposable, sterile equipment to minimise the risk of cross infection
- replenished as soon as practicable after use
- regularly checked to ensure that the contents are as listed
- regularly checked to ensure that the contents have not deteriorated or exceeded their use by date.