If you work in a school — whether you’re a principal, a business manager, or a staff member who’s been handed the first aid kit — knowing what the law actually requires can be harder than it sounds. Requirements sit across multiple frameworks: national WHS laws, Victorian Department of Education (DET) policies, and sector-specific guidelines on anaphylaxis and asthma management.
This post breaks it down clearly, so your school isn’t just hoping it’s compliant — it actually is.
The Legal Framework: Where the Obligations Come From
First aid obligations for schools in Victoria come from two main sources.
The first is the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) and its associated regulations. Under the OHS Act, employers — including school principals as employers of staff — must provide first aid facilities, equipment, and trained personnel appropriate to the hazards of the workplace. Safe Work Australia’s First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice (2021) provides detailed guidance on what “appropriate” means in practice, including recommended ratios of first aid officers to workers.
The second framework is the Department of Education, Victoria (DET), whose operational guidelines overlay the OHS requirements with education-specific obligations. These cover student wellbeing, anaphylaxis management, asthma management, and mandatory reporting requirements that intersect with first aid response.
How Many First Aid Officers Does a School Need?
Safe Work Australia’s Code of Practice recommends that workplaces in low-risk environments have at least one first aid officer for every 50 workers. Most general school office and classroom environments would sit in a low-risk category for staff purposes — but the overall picture is more complex.
DET guidance makes clear that schools must consider the full population at risk, not just staff numbers. In practice, Victorian schools are expected to maintain adequate first aid coverage at all times, including during yard duty, sport, excursions, and any other activities where students are under supervision. There is no single fixed student-to-officer ratio mandated under state law, but the expectation is that trained staff can respond promptly regardless of where on the school grounds an incident occurs.
Victorian Catholic and independent schools operate under their own sector policies, but all remain subject to the underlying obligations of the OHS Act 2004.
Anaphylaxis: A Specific Legal Requirement in Victoria
Unlike most first aid requirements, anaphylaxis management is specifically legislated in Victoria — not just covered by guidance.
The Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) requires all registered schools to have an anaphylaxis management policy. DET’s Anaphylaxis Guidelines for Schools require schools to:
- Maintain an up-to-date register of students with known allergies
- Ensure an adrenaline autoinjector is available for general use — for students who may not have their own device accessible
- Ensure relevant staff are trained to recognise and respond to anaphylaxis using a current ASCIA Action Plan
- Conduct regular briefings for all staff on the protocols, not just designated first aid officers
The Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) updated its anaphylaxis action plans in 2023 to reflect the availability of new adrenaline autoinjector devices, including Neffy (a nasal spray option) and Jext (a pen-style device). Schools should ensure their policies and staff training align with the most current ASCIA guidelines, not versions from a few years ago.
Asthma Management: Policy, Equipment, and Staff Awareness
DET also requires schools to have an asthma management policy and to ensure staff are trained in asthma first aid. This includes familiarity with the four-step Asthma First Aid procedure and access to a reliever inhaler and spacer for emergency use.
It’s worth noting that asthma treatment guidelines have shifted in recent years. Asthma Australia and ASCIA now distinguish between different types of reliever inhalers — particularly the combination inhalers like budesonide-formoterol (Symbicort SMART), which are used differently from a standard Ventolin puffer. Schools whose staff training predates these updates may be working from outdated protocols. A refresher is well worth organising if it’s been a while.
CPR and First Aid Training: The ARC Standard
The Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) recommends that CPR skills be refreshed annually, given how quickly confidence and technique deteriorate without practice. For designated first aid officers in schools, the appropriate qualification is typically:
- HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting — designed specifically for staff working with children and young people. It covers CPR, management of anaphylaxis, asthma, bleeding, and choking in an age-appropriate context.
General staff who aren’t designated first aid officers may hold HLTAID011 Provide First Aid, but schools benefit from having their key first aid personnel trained to the education-specific standard. It’s more relevant, more practical, and more defensible if an incident ever requires review.
First aid qualifications typically have a three-year currency, with CPR components needing annual renewal. Schools should audit their staff certificates regularly to ensure no-one is operating out of date.
Record-Keeping and Administration
Under both DET guidelines and OHS obligations, schools must keep records of first aid incidents — including the date, the nature of the incident, the response given, and the outcome. Good records help schools spot patterns, refine their policies, and demonstrate due diligence if an incident is later reviewed by WorkSafe Victoria, DET, or any other body.
Schools should also maintain a register of staff first aid qualifications: the unit held, the registered training organisation (RTO) that issued it, and the expiry date. This is particularly important where multiple staff have roles that depend on current certification.
When Did Your School Last Review Its First Aid Arrangements?
Compliance isn’t a one-time task. It’s an ongoing responsibility — and one that’s easy to let drift when everything else is busy.
If your school hasn’t reviewed its first aid arrangements recently, or if staff turnover has left gaps in coverage, it’s worth doing that audit now. Check the certificates, review the anaphylaxis and asthma policies against the latest ASCIA guidelines, confirm that your general-use adrenaline autoinjector is in date and accessible, and make sure the staff who need training are booked in.
AB First Aid provides first aid training specifically designed for school and education settings, including HLTAID012 for staff working with children. Courses run from our Tullamarine training centre, and we can also arrange on-site sessions for larger school teams.
Book your first aid training or view the course schedule and enrol — and make sure your school is genuinely covered, not just hoping it is.
References
- Safe Work Australia. (2021). First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice. safeworkaustralia.gov.au
- WorkSafe Victoria. Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic). worksafe.vic.gov.au
- Department of Education, Victoria. Anaphylaxis Guidelines for Schools. education.vic.gov.au
- Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA). Anaphylaxis Action Plans. allergy.org.au
- Asthma Australia. Asthma First Aid. asthma.org.au
- Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC). CPR Guidelines. resus.org.au
- Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic). legislation.vic.gov.au
