How Workplace First Aid Laws Are Changing in Australia

Safe Work Australia's First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice was updated and came into effect in 2025, introducing the most significant changes to workplace first aid obligations in over a decade. For business owners, HR managers, and WHS officers, understanding what has changed is not optional — non-compliance creates significant legal and safety exposure. More importantly, the updated requirements reflect what workplaces actually need to protect their people.

What the Code of Practice Actually Requires

The Code requires employers to conduct a first aid needs assessment that considers the nature of the work and workplace hazards, the number of workers and their locations, the distance from the workplace to emergency services, and the work schedule (including shift work and remote locations). From this assessment, employers must provide an adequate number of trained first aiders, appropriate first aid equipment and facilities, and an effective system for informing workers of first aid arrangements.

First Aider to Worker Ratios: Does Your Business Comply?

The updated Code provides clearer guidance on ratios. For low-risk workplaces (offices, retail, professional services), a minimum of one first aider per 50 workers is recommended. For high-risk workplaces (construction, manufacturing, warehousing, healthcare), a minimum of one first aider per 10–25 workers is required, depending on hazard level. Where workers are isolated or work unusual hours, additional arrangements must be made to ensure coverage at all times. Multi-site businesses must ensure each site has adequate coverage independently.

Refresher Training: When Does Certification Expire?

First aid certificates issued under the updated framework must be refreshed every three years for HLTAID011 (Provide First Aid) and annually for HLTAID009 (Provide CPR). Employers are responsible for tracking expiry dates and ensuring refresher training occurs before certificates lapse. Expired certificates do not satisfy the legal obligation, even if the certificate holder has maintained their skills informally. Horizon Training can help businesses track and manage their team's certification currency.

Mental Health First Aid: A Growing Obligation

While mental health first aid is not yet universally mandated under WHS legislation, Safe Work Australia's updated psychosocial hazard guidance makes clear that employers have a duty of care to manage mental health risks in the workplace. An increasing number of employers are including mental health first aid training as part of their first aid framework, particularly in industries with elevated psychosocial risk. Accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training is now available through Horizon Training.

Getting Your Team Compliant

Horizon Training delivers nationally recognised first aid training for workplaces of all sizes across the Sunshine Coast. We offer flexible scheduling including early morning, after-hours, and onsite sessions to minimise disruption. We also provide certificate tracking reminders to help you stay ahead of renewal dates. Whether you need to bring a new team up to scratch or refresh existing certificates, we can tailor a program that satisfies your legal obligations and genuinely builds your team's emergency capability.

Sources and further reading

• First aid in the workplace Code of Practice — Safe Work Australia
• Model WHS laws — Safe Work Australia
• HLTAID011 Provide First Aid — Australian Government training.gov.au