How Many First Aid Officers Does Your Victorian Workplace Need?

How many first aiders does a Victorian workplace need?

Under WorkSafe Victoria's compliance code, most manufacturing sites count as "higher risk": one trained first aid officer for every 25 workers, rising to two for 26–50, then one extra for each additional 50. Low-risk workplaces use a lighter ratio — one first aider per 10–50 workers.

What does the law actually require?

The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) doesn't specify a headcount. Section 21(1) sets the general duty: an employer must provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health, so far as is reasonably practicable. Section 21(2)(d) makes that duty explicit for welfare facilities, including first aid (OHS Act 2004 (Vic) s.21).

The detail — how many first aid officers, what's in the kit, whether you need a first aid room — sits in WorkSafe Victoria's Compliance code: First aid in the workplace (Edition 1, published 4 November 2021). It's not mandatory law, but an employer who follows it is treated as having met the OHS Act duty (WorkSafe Victoria, Compliance code: First aid in the workplace).

Is a factory floor "low-risk" or "higher-risk"?

The code splits workplaces into two categories, and it matters which one you're in:

1. Low-risk — offices, shops, libraries: no exposure to hazards likely to cause serious injury needing immediate medical attention, and medical or ambulance help is readily available.
2. Higher-risk — the code names manufacturing plants directly, alongside commercial kitchens, meatworks and vehicle repair workshops: workers are exposed to hazards that could cause serious injury (amputation, serious head or eye injury, electric shock, spinal injury, serious lacerations), or the site isn't close to medical or ambulance services.

If your site has an office attached to a production floor, the code says to apply the higher-risk ratio across the whole workplace — you don't get to average it down.

How many first aid officers do you actually need?

The code's "prescribed approach" gives a straight ratio for each risk category.

Workforce size	Low-risk ratio	Higher-risk ratio (most manufacturers)
Up to 25	1 officer (for 10+ workers)	1 officer
26–50	1–2 officers	2 officers
51–100	2 officers	2, plus 1 per additional 50
100+	1 additional per 100	1 additional per 50

A low-risk "micro-business" — fewer than 10 employees, no serious-injury exposure — can comply with just a stocked first aid kit and no dedicated officer.

Employers need at least one first aid officer available whenever work is happening, which usually means covering rosters, leave and shift changes rather than appointing one person and hoping they're never off sick.

What training does a first aid officer need?

The minimum is a nationally recognised statement of attainment for Provide First Aid (HLTAID011 or equivalent) from a registered training organisation. For higher-risk sites, the code flags that officers may need Provide Advanced First Aid (HLTAID014). Qualifications need renewing every 3 years, with an annual CPR refresher.

Do you need a dedicated first aid room?

Only above a threshold: low-risk workplaces with more than 200 employees, and higher-risk workplaces — most factories — with more than 100 employees.

Working out the ratio is the easy part. Keeping first aid officer certificates current across shifts, tracking renewal dates, and flagging a coverage gap before an inspector does — that's where having a safety manager on call earns its keep. If you'd rather not run it off a spreadsheet, book a site assessment and we'll map out exactly what your site needs.

FAQ

Does a small factory with 15 workers need a first aid officer?

Yes. WorkSafe Victoria treats manufacturing as higher-risk, and the ratio starts at one officer for up to 25 workers — there's no headcount exemption for higher-risk sites the way there is for low-risk micro-businesses.

Can one first aid officer cover a two-shift factory?

Not on their own. The code expects a first aid officer available whenever work is being performed, so a two-shift site generally needs separate coverage — or officers rostered — for each shift, not one person stretched across both.

Is the WorkSafe Victoria code legally binding?

Not directly — it's guidance, not a regulation. But following it is treated as meeting your OHS Act 2004 duty to provide adequate welfare facilities, and departing from it means you'd need another way to show you've met that duty.

This article is general information for Victorian manufacturers, not legal advice. Last updated: 10 August 2026.