First Aid Training and Supplies
For information about how we administer first aid, see Managing Injuries and Illness.
At St Joseph's School, the board has a primary duty of care to ensure, as far as is 
reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others in the workplace and provide a safe and healthy work environment (Health and Safety at Work Act 2015). This includes a legislative duty to provide first aid (i.e. adequate access to first aid supplies, facilities, and trained first aiders) (Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016, s 13). The board is responsible for engaging with workers, so far as reasonably practicable, about health and safety matters that directly impact them, such as first aid. Providing first aid helps to ensure a safe school environment (Education and Training Act 2020).
Reasonably practicable, in relation to the duty of a PCBU, means that which is, or was, at a particular time, reasonably able to be done in relation to ensuring health and safety, taking into account and weighing up all relevant matters, including:
- the likelihood of the hazard or the risk concerned occurring
- the degree of harm that might result from the hazard or risk
- what the person concerned knows, or ought reasonably to know, about:
- the hazard or risk
- ways of eliminating or minimising the risk
- the availability and suitability of ways to eliminate or minimise the risk
- after assessing the extent of the risk and the available ways of eliminating or minimising the risk, the cost associated with available ways of eliminating or minimising the risk, including whether the cost is grossly disproportionate to the risk.
Health and Safety at Work Act, s 22
To meet these responsibilities, oversight of first aid training and supplies is delegated to the principal, who may further delegate some tasks. Oversight includes considering the needs of our school when deciding:
- what first aid equipment and supplies (i.e. first aid kits) are needed
- how many first aiders are required
- how to communicate information about our first aid procedures to our school community.
We provide all staff with information about first aid at our school (e.g. location of the first aid supplies, names of first aiders, school procedures). We provide this information when a staff member is first employed at St Joseph's School and as needed (e.g. if there are procedural changes).
We regularly review our first aid procedures, including training and supplies, to ensure we meet health and safety requirements, keep everyone safe, and continually improve procedures.
First aid training and first aiders
When deciding how many trained first aiders are needed on site, we consider a range of factors and undertake relevant risk assessment.
When deciding how many first aiders are needed at our school, we consider:
- the number of people at school at any given time
- the nature of school operations and any potential risks
- the likelihood of people getting hurt and how serious the injuries might be
- the physical location and size of the school (e.g. remote, different sites)
- whether other people visit the school.
We also take into consideration the likelihood of first aiders being absent on planned or unplanned leave.
First aid at work 
(WorkSafe | Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa)
At St Joseph's School, the board supports all staff to be trained in first aid and to renew their certification every two years. A list of certified first aiders is kept in the sick bay. We also train staff in managing particular student needs as required (e.g. administering EpiPen, glucose tests).
First aid supplies
St Joseph's School has appropriate first aid supplies.
First aid supplies should be clearly labelled, including a list of contents, and be stored in a way that protects the contents from dust, moisture, and contamination.
First aid supplies may include:
- disposable gloves
- sterile saline solution, antiseptic solution, wound cleaning wipes (or some other means of cleansing wounds)
- triangular bandages (or some other means of immobilising an upper limb injury)
- rolls of stretchable bandage, safety pins, bandage clips, or tape (or some other means of holding dressings in place)
- sterile wound dressings, adhesive wound dressings, sticking plasters
- eye wash and eye wash container
- resuscitation mask or face shield
- scissors and tweezers
- ice pack
- first aid manual
- a list of health and emergency numbers (e.g. Healthline, National Poisons Centre).
First aid supplies may include pain relief medicines – see Medicines.
Some school spaces such as laboratories, workshops, or swimming pools have specific risks that may require additional supplies.
Signage directs users to first aid supplies and equipment, which are kept in the sick bay. Ice packs are kept in the staffroom.
First aid supplies are regularly checked and restocked. This includes checking expiry dates. When using supplies, we notify the appropriate person so these can be restocked.
We ensure that appropriate first aid supplies are available during EOTC activities. The school maintains travelling first aid kits. We record any supplies used and notify the appropriate person so these can be restocked. Also see EOTC Health and First Aid.
Related topics
Legislation
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
- Health and Safety at Work Act (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016
- Education and Training Act 2020
Resources
: Term 3 2025, Term 3 2022, Term 4 2020, Term 4 2019
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