It happens without warning. A student is sitting in class, at the oval, or in the library — and then they’re on the ground, shaking. For many school staff, it’s one of the scariest things they’ll ever witness. But with the right knowledge, you can stay calm, act correctly, and make a real difference to that student’s safety. This guide walks you through exactly what to do when a student has a seizure, what not to do, and how Australian schools are expected to prepare for these situations. Understanding Seizures in a School Setting Seizures occur when there’s a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. They can affect anyone, but they’re most commonly associated with epilepsy — a neurological condition that affects around 1 in 100 Australians, according to Epilepsy Australia. Many children with epilepsy attend mainstream schools and lead full, active lives. Not all seizures look the same. A tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure — the kind most people picture — involves muscle stiffening and rhythmic jerking. But seizures can also appear as brief staring episodes, sudden muscle jerks, or confused and automatic behaviour. School staff need to recognise all types, not just the dramatic ones. Step-by-Step: How to Manage a Tonic-Clonic Seizure The Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) and Epilepsy Action Australia both provide clear guidance on seizure first aid. Here’s what to do: 1. Stay calm and stay with the student. Your presence matters. Keep other students back and give the person space — don’t crowd them. 2. Note the time. Check when the seizure started. This matters for what comes next. 3. Protect from injury. Clear away hard or sharp objects nearby. Do not restrain the person. Do not hold their limbs down — this can cause injury to both of you and does nothing to stop a seizure. 4. Cushion the head. Place something soft — a folded jacket, a bag — under their head if possible. Turn them gently onto their side once the jerking stops, to keep the airway clear. This is the recovery position. 5. Do not put anything in their mouth. This is one of the most persistent first aid myths. People cannot swallow their tongue during a seizure. Putting objects in their mouth risks injury to both you and the student. 6. Call 000 if: 7. Stay with them until they’re fully recovered. After a tonic-clonic seizure, the person will often be confused, tired, and disoriented. This is normal. Don’t leave them alone, and speak calmly and reassuringly until they’ve fully come around. Managing Absence Seizures and Other Types Absence seizures — where a student briefly stares into space and is unresponsive for a few seconds — can be easily mistaken for daydreaming or inattention. The student may not even know it happened. For staff, the key is to record occurrences and notify parents and the school’s first aid officer, especially if they’re happening frequently. No immediate physical intervention is needed, but documentation is important. Focal seizures (previously called partial seizures) may cause confused behaviour, automatisms (repetitive movements like lip-smacking or hand-rubbing), or brief loss of awareness. The student may not respond normally to you. Stay with them, speak calmly, and guide them away from danger if needed — but don’t restrain them. What Schools Are Required to Have in Place Under the Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET Victoria) guidelines, schools are required to have a first aid policy and to support students with health conditions including epilepsy. This includes developing individual healthcare plans for students who have diagnosed conditions that may result in a medical emergency. The DET Victoria guidelines on supporting students with medical conditions require schools to ensure relevant staff are trained and that individual management plans are in place. For students with known epilepsy, this may include specific instructions from a neurologist or paediatrician about rescue medication and when to call an ambulance. WorkSafe Victoria also requires workplaces — including schools — to maintain an adequate number of trained first aiders and a stocked first aid kit appropriate to the hazards present. Seizure management is a core competency in any recognised first aid qualification. Having a Plan Before It Happens The best time to prepare for a seizure is before one happens. Schools should: Epilepsy Action Australia recommends that schools develop an Epilepsy Management Plan in consultation with the student’s family and treating doctor. These plans are school-specific and detail triggers, warning signs, the type of seizures the student has, and any rescue medication that may be prescribed. After the Seizure: Supporting the Student Once the student has recovered, they’ll likely need to rest. Some students feel embarrassed or distressed about having a seizure in front of their peers. How staff handle the aftermath matters as much as the first aid itself. Speak privately, use a calm tone, and avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Notify parents or carers, document the incident in the school’s first aid record, and follow up with the school’s student wellbeing team if needed. Classmates may also have questions or concerns. A calm, matter-of-fact response from the teacher — without sensationalising the event — helps normalise the situation and reduces stigma for the student involved. Make Sure Your Staff Are Ready Knowing what to do in those first few minutes can be the difference between a well-managed emergency and one that causes additional harm. First aid training gives school staff the confidence to act correctly, stay calm, and support a student until professional help arrives. AB First Aid runs practical, nationally recognised first aid courses from Tullamarine, designed for school staff and education workers across Melbourne. Courses cover seizure management, CPR, anaphylaxis response, and more — delivered in a clear, practical format that actually sticks. If your school’s first aid certificates are coming up for renewal — or you want to get the whole staff trained — view the course schedule and enrol at AB First Aid. We’ll make sure your team is ready. References

It’s a Tuesday morning at a busy long day care centre in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Twenty-two children are settled into morning snack time. A room leader notices that Liam, aged four, is scratching at his face and his eyes are swollen. Within sixty seconds, he’s struggling to breathe. This is anaphylaxis. And what happens in the next five minutes will determine everything. What Is Anaphylaxis — And Why Is Childcare High-Risk? Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction that can affect the whole body. It can be triggered by foods such as peanuts, eggs, cow’s milk, wheat, tree nuts, fish, or sesame — as well as insect stings and medications — and it can escalate from mild symptoms to cardiac arrest within minutes. Childcare environments carry a particularly high risk. Children aged one to five are in the prime window for discovering previously unknown food allergies, and cross-contamination of food is notoriously hard to prevent in group settings. According to ASCIA (the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy), food allergies affect approximately one in ten Australian infants — making the chances of encountering a reaction in an early childhood setting very real. Under ACECQA guidelines and the Education and Care Services National Regulations, childcare services must maintain up-to-date medical management plans for every enrolled child with a known allergy or medical condition. But as any experienced educator knows, anaphylaxis can occur in a child with no prior diagnosis. Back in the Room: The First Signs Back to Liam. The room leader who noticed him — let’s call her Priya — has completed her first aid training and recognises the warning signs immediately: These are not just signs of a minor allergic reaction. The respiratory symptoms alone indicate anaphylaxis. Priya doesn’t wait to see if it gets worse. Reaching for the EpiPen: Using the ASCIA Action Plan Every child with a known allergy at the centre has an ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis stored in their file and a copy displayed in the medication area. Liam’s plan was completed by his GP after a mild reaction to cashews six months ago — but this is the first time it’s been needed. Priya directs her co-educator to call 000 immediately. She retrieves Liam’s EpiPen Jr from the medication storage, and with another staff member supporting Liam’s position — sitting him upright, never lying him flat if he’s having trouble breathing — she administers the adrenaline autoinjector to his outer mid-thigh. This is exactly what her training prepared her to do. Not in theory — in practice, using a trainer device, under pressure, with a clock running. The 000 operator stays on the line. Liam is monitored closely. Within two minutes of the EpiPen, his breathing starts to ease. What Happens After the Injection Anaphylaxis can be biphasic — meaning a second wave of symptoms can occur hours later, even after the person has seemed to recover. This is why emergency services must always be called, even when an EpiPen appears to have worked. When paramedics arrive, they take over care and transport Liam to hospital for observation. His parents, contacted immediately after the 000 call, are waiting there. Back at the centre, Priya completes a full incident report. The centre director reviews the risk management plan, the food preparation procedures, and Liam’s updated medical file. A near-miss debrief takes place with all staff before the end of the day. This is not an overreaction. It is best practice. What This Scenario Teaches Us Every part of this response — from recognition to administration to aftercare — was shaped by training. Priya knew what to look for. She knew how to use the ASCIA Action Plan. She had physically practised using an autoinjector. She stayed calm enough to act. Without that training, the response could have looked very different: a delay in calling 000, uncertainty about when to use the EpiPen, or Liam being laid flat — which can worsen shock in anaphylaxis. The Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) and ASCIA both emphasise that early recognition and prompt adrenaline administration are the critical factors in anaphylaxis outcomes. Every minute matters. Regulatory Requirements for Childcare Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations (Regulations 90–96), childcare services must have a policy covering the management of medical conditions including anaphylaxis. They must also ensure that: WorkSafe Victoria and the Department of Education Victoria also require that first aid training is current and appropriate to the risks in the environment. ACECQA makes it clear that anaphylaxis training is not optional — it’s a core requirement for any approved childcare service. Is Your Team Ready? The children in your care deserve staff who can act — not just staff who know the theory. First aid training for childcare workers isn’t a box-ticking exercise. It’s the reason a child like Liam goes home safely. AB First Aid offers nationally recognised first aid training suited to early childhood education and care settings, including hands-on anaphylaxis response practice. Our courses run regularly from our Tullamarine training centre, and we also offer group bookings for services who want to train their whole team together. Book your first aid training today, or view the full course schedule to find a session that works for your team. References

Working in the electrical trade means dealing with real physical risks every single day. Falls from height, electrical contact, heat exposure, lacerations — these aren’t hypotheticals. They’re regular hazards that put workers in harm’s way, and when something goes wrong on an electrical worksite, the person standing closest to the injured worker is usually a tradie, not a paramedic. That’s why first aid knowledge isn’t a nice-to-have for electricians and construction workers. It’s a genuine workplace safety requirement — and more than that, it’s the difference between a colleague recovering or not. Here’s a rundown of the most common first aid emergencies on electrical worksites in Australia, and what to do when they happen. Electrical Contact and Shock Electrical contact is one of the most serious risks in the trade. According to Safe Work Australia, electricity is responsible for a significant number of serious injuries and fatalities in the construction sector each year — including electrocution, severe burns, and cardiac arrest. When a person has been exposed to an electrical current, the first priority is safety. Never touch the injured person while they are still in contact with the current. Turn off the power at the source if it is safe to do so. Only approach the person once you are certain the electrical supply has been isolated. Once safe: Even if someone appears fine after electrical contact, they must be assessed by medical personnel. Internal injuries, cardiac irregularities, and delayed symptoms can occur hours after the incident. Falls from Height Falls are the leading cause of serious injury and death in the construction industry across Australia. WorkSafe Victoria reports that falls from ladders, scaffolding, roofs, and elevated platforms are among the most common mechanisms of serious injury for workers in the trades. When responding to a fall: Any fall from over one metre should be treated as potentially serious, even if the person insists they’re fine. Lacerations and Penetrating Wounds Sharp tools, metal conduit, exposed wires, and construction materials mean lacerations and puncture wounds are common on electrical worksites. Deep cuts, especially those involving hands or forearms, can cause significant blood loss quickly. To manage a serious cut: Under the Safe Work Australia First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice (2024), high-risk worksites must have adequate first aid supplies and trained personnel on site. For electrical and construction work, this means accessible kits and workers who know how to use them. Heat Stress and Heat Exhaustion Electrical workers frequently work outdoors, in roof spaces, sub-floor areas, or poorly ventilated commercial buildings — all environments where heat exposure is a real concern, particularly during Victorian summers. Heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke rapidly if not managed. Signs include heavy sweating, weakness, pale or cold skin, nausea, headache, and dizziness. To respond: WorkSafe Victoria advises that heat management plans — including adequate rest breaks, hydration, and monitoring — are part of employer duty of care obligations on worksites. Eye Injuries Arc flash, flying debris, metal shavings, and chemical splashes are all common causes of eye injuries in electrical and construction settings. Eye injuries can cause permanent damage if not treated promptly. If something enters the eye: The right personal protective equipment (PPE) prevents most eye injuries — but when PPE fails or isn’t worn, fast first aid response matters. Musculoskeletal Injuries Sprains, strains, and back injuries from manual handling, awkward positions, and repetitive tasks are among the most common injuries affecting electrical workers. While they’re rarely life-threatening, they can end careers if not managed properly. For a musculoskeletal injury: WorkSafe Victoria requires that all workplace injuries — including soft-tissue injuries — are recorded and that injured workers receive appropriate medical attention. What This Means for Worksite First Aid Training Knowing what to do in the first few minutes of an emergency is not something most people pick up by chance. It takes training, practice, and regular refreshing of skills. Under the Safe Work Australia First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice, employers in high-risk industries are required to ensure there are sufficient first aid officers on site, that first aid kits are stocked and accessible, and that workers know how to respond in an emergency. Whether you’re the site supervisor, the apprentice, or somewhere in between — having current first aid skills makes your worksite safer for everyone. Ready to Get Your Ticket Up to Date? AB First Aid runs practical, industry-relevant first aid and CPR training in Tullamarine, with courses suited to construction workers, electricians, and trade professionals. Book your first aid training or view the full course schedule and enrol directly online. Courses run regularly — so there’s no reason to put it off. References

Running a childcare service in Australia means navigating a fair amount of regulation, and first aid is one area where the rules are clear — and the stakes are high. If you’re responsible for an early childhood service, understanding exactly what’s required under national law isn’t just good practice; it’s your legal obligation. Here’s a plain-language breakdown of what your service needs to know. The Legal Framework: National Law and National Regulations First aid requirements for education and care services are set out in the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011. These are administered in Victoria by the Department of Education and regulated nationally through the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). These laws apply to long day care, family day care, outside school hours care (OSHC), and preschool and kindergarten services. They’re not optional — failure to comply can result in formal notices, compliance directions, and in serious cases, suspension of service approval. How Many Trained Staff Do You Need? This is where services often have questions. Under Regulation 136, at least one educator with a current approved first aid qualification must be on the premises at all times the service is operating. For family day care, the educator providing care must hold the qualification themselves. ACECQA specifies that approved first aid qualifications must include: Services must also ensure that at least one person present holds current anaphylaxis management training and current emergency asthma management training. These are separate certifications and must be kept current independently of the main first aid qualification. What Does “Current” Actually Mean? This catches services out more often than you’d expect. A staff member might have completed first aid training several years ago — but if it’s outside the renewal period, it doesn’t count for compliance purposes. Some services try to get by with the absolute minimum — one trained person on-site at any given time. Practically speaking, this creates coverage gaps whenever that person is away, on a break, or unexpectedly absent. Having multiple trained staff across your team is both safer and smarter from an operational standpoint. First Aid Kits and Equipment Compliance isn’t just about people — your service also needs to maintain appropriate first aid equipment. Regulation 89 requires education and care services to have a first aid kit that is: ACECQA doesn’t prescribe the exact contents, but the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) and Safe Work Australia guidelines are the standard benchmarks. Your kit should include wound care supplies, gloves, a CPR face shield or mask, and a current first aid manual, among other items. If children enrolled at your service have a diagnosed allergy, you’ll also need to ensure prescribed adrenaline auto-injectors — such as EpiPen, Jext, or the newer Neffy nasal spray — are on-site and accessible, along with a current ASCIA Action Plan for each affected child. Policies, Procedures, and the National Quality Framework Compliance isn’t just about ticking off certificates. Under the National Quality Framework, services are expected to have clear, written first aid policies and procedures that are regularly reviewed and available to families. Quality Area 2 of the National Quality Standard — Children’s Health and Safety — requires services to demonstrate that health and safety practices are built into everyday operations, not just filed away in a folder. In practical terms, this means: Your service’s Authorised Supervisor is responsible for ensuring compliance is maintained, documentation is current, and staff training records are up to date and accessible. Common Compliance Gaps in Childcare Settings Working with childcare services across Victoria, a few issues come up repeatedly: Expired CPR certificates. Because CPR must be renewed annually — not every three years like the full first aid qualification — it’s easy for it to slip. Staff renew their first aid cert on time but don’t realise their CPR component has lapsed in the meantime. Relying on a single trained staff member. If your only first aid-qualified educator calls in sick or goes on leave, you may not be legally compliant to operate. Building training across your team removes this single point of failure. Out-of-date anaphylaxis action plans. ASCIA Action Plans should be reviewed annually and whenever a child’s medical management changes. An old plan in a child’s file isn’t a current plan — and it won’t serve them in an emergency. No accessible training records. Services need to demonstrate compliance during assessment and ratings visits. If you can’t produce records showing current certifications for your team, it creates problems — even if the training was completed. What to Do If You’re Not Sure Where Your Service Stands Start with an honest audit of your team’s training records. Check when each person’s first aid certificate, CPR, anaphylaxis training, and asthma training were completed — and when each one expires. Map that against your rosters to see where gaps might exist. If you’ve found gaps, they’re straightforward to fix. AB First Aid offers HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting, designed specifically for childcare professionals. Our trainers understand the early childhood context — the scenarios, the language, the regulatory backdrop — and we work with services across the Tullamarine area and surrounds. Group bookings are available for services wanting to upskill multiple staff at once, and we can often accommodate training at your premises to reduce disruption to your operations. Stay Compliant, Stay Confident First aid compliance in childcare isn’t a once-and-done exercise. Certificates expire, staff change, and regulations are updated. The responsibility sits with you as an approved provider to keep your team trained, your records current, and your policies up to date. If your service is due for a refresh — or if you’re not confident your training records would hold up under scrutiny — now is a good time to act. Book your first aid training with AB First Aid in Tullamarine, or view the full course schedule and enrol online. Our team is ready to help your service stay safe,

Schools are busy, unpredictable environments. On any given day, a staff member might be dealing with a student who’s had a fall in the playground, a child experiencing a severe allergic reaction in the classroom, or a colleague who collapses on yard duty. These aren’t rare or dramatic scenarios — they happen in schools across Victoria every week. And yet, many schools operate with first aid officers who completed their training years ago, or with a handful of staff who aren’t confident they’d know what to do in a real emergency. That’s a gap worth closing. This post covers the most common first aid risks in Australian school settings — why they happen, what makes them particularly challenging in a school context, and what staff can do to be genuinely prepared. Playground Injuries: The Most Frequent Call Falls, collisions, and playground-related injuries are the bread and butter of school first aid. According to Safe Work Australia, children in educational settings experience a high volume of minor to moderate injuries from physical activity — many of which occur in unstructured play environments. The challenge isn’t just knowing how to respond — it’s recognising the difference between a minor bump and a head injury that warrants calling an ambulance. Concussion management in children has also become increasingly important, with DET Victoria guidelines requiring schools to have a clear return-to-learn protocol for students who’ve experienced a head knock. Anaphylaxis: High Stakes, Zero Margin for Error Anaphylaxis is one of the most time-critical first aid emergencies in any setting — and schools are particularly high-risk environments because of the number of children with known and unknown allergies interacting daily. ASCIA (the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy) estimates that food allergy affects around one in ten infants and one in twenty adults in Australia. In a school of several hundred students, statistically there will be multiple children at risk of anaphylaxis at any time. DET Victoria requires all government schools to have an anaphylaxis management policy in place, and staff in direct contact with students who have anaphylaxis risk should hold current anaphylaxis training. The key challenge schools face is not just having an adrenaline auto-injector (EpiPen) available — it’s ensuring staff know when and how to use it, and that they practise doing so regularly enough to act confidently under pressure. Asthma Attacks: Common but Underestimated Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in Australian children. Asthma Australia reports that approximately one in nine Australians has asthma, and it remains a leading cause of childhood hospitalisation. In schools, asthma attacks can be triggered by physical activity, cold air, allergens, or stress — all of which are everyday features of school life. Many staff feel comfortable handing over a reliever puffer, but fewer are confident managing a student whose asthma isn’t responding, recognising the signs of a severe attack, or knowing when to call 000. The four-step asthma first aid process recommended by the National Asthma Council Australia is straightforward, but it needs to be practised — reading a poster in the staffroom in the middle of an emergency is not the same as having done the training. Seizures: Frightening for Everyone Present Epilepsy and other seizure disorders affect a significant number of school-aged children. For staff who haven’t seen a seizure before, the experience can be frightening — and the instinct to intervene in the wrong way (such as putting something in the person’s mouth) can do more harm than good. Proper first aid for seizures focuses on protecting the person from injury, timing the seizure, placing them in the recovery position once it stops, and knowing when to call an ambulance (generally when a seizure lasts more than five minutes, or the person doesn’t regain consciousness). For students with a known seizure disorder, their individual management plan will guide the response — but staff need to be familiar with it before an event occurs, not during one. Mental Health Crises: A Growing Reality First aid isn’t only physical. Schools are increasingly dealing with students experiencing mental health crises — panic attacks, acute anxiety, or situations involving self-harm. While this falls partly into the realm of school counsellors and wellbeing teams, frontline staff benefit from having Mental Health First Aid skills to recognise when a student is struggling and respond in a supportive, appropriate way while professional help is arranged. DET Victoria’s Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO) recognises student mental health and wellbeing as a priority, and many schools are now supplementing standard first aid training with Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification for key staff. Staff Incidents: Don’t Forget the Adults First aid preparedness in schools isn’t just about student welfare. Staff are also at risk — from soft tissue injuries during yard duty or sport, to medical episodes like cardiac events. WorkSafe Victoria requires all Victorian employers, including schools, to ensure adequate first aid provision for their workers, including an appropriate number of trained first aiders and accessible first aid kits. Cardiac arrest is a particular concern for adult staff — it can happen without warning, and survival rates drop significantly for every minute without CPR and defibrillation. Schools with an automated external defibrillator (AED) on site are far better placed to respond, and the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) recommends that staff with access to an AED know how to use it. Why Compliance Alone Isn’t Enough Meeting the minimum regulatory requirements is a starting point — not a destination. Under DET Victoria guidelines, schools must ensure they have staff who hold current first aid qualifications, with specific obligations around anaphylaxis management. But ticking a compliance box and building genuine first aid capability are two different things. Staff who practise their skills regularly, understand the specific risks in their school, and feel confident responding to a real emergency are far more effective than those who completed a course three years ago and haven’t thought about it since. Regular refreshers, scenario-based training, and site-specific drills all make