First Aid Study Guide (Australia) 2026

First aid courses in Australia

The standard workplace first aid course in Australia is the nationally recognised unit HLTAID011 Provide First Aid. It is delivered by registered training organisations (RTOs) and follows guidelines from the Australian Resuscitation Council, published with New Zealand as the ANZCOR guidelines.

There is no single government exam. The RTO assesses you as competent. You must show skills on manikins and in a simulated incident, and answer knowledge questions. The practical tasks include:

at least 2 minutes of uninterrupted single-rescuer CPR on an adult manikin on the floor, and on an infant manikin
following an AED's prompts to give at least one shock
managing an unconscious person who is breathing
managing anaphylaxis, asthma, bleeding, choking, snake bite, fractures and sprains, minor wounds, nosebleeds and shock
reporting the incident clearly, verbally and in writing

Safe Work Australia says workplaces must give workers access to first aid kits and trained first aiders at all times. First aiders should hold a nationally recognised statement of attainment and train regularly.

DRSABCD: the basic life support plan

DRSABCD is the action plan for a person who has collapsed. Follow it in order.

Step	Means	What you do
D	Danger	Make sure the area is safe for you, bystanders and the person.
R	Response	Speak loudly (ask their name) and squeeze their shoulders. Never shake an infant.
S	Send for help	Call 000 or ask someone else to call. Do not leave the person.
A	Airway	Check the mouth for vomit, blood, food or loose teeth. Gently tilt the head back and lift the chin.
B	Breathing	Look, listen and feel for normal breathing for 10 seconds.
C	CPR	If they are not breathing normally, start CPR: 30 compressions, then 2 breaths.
D	Defibrillation	Attach an AED as soon as one is available and follow its voice prompts.

Before you help a conscious person, ask for their consent where possible. Respect their privacy, and use gloves and a face shield or mask if you have them.

CPR and defibrillation

Hand position for adult chest compressions.

The centre of the chest, on the lower half of the breastbone.
The heel of one hand there, with the other hand on top and fingers interlocked.
Shoulders over the hands, pushing straight down.

	Adult	Child (over 1)	Infant (under 1)
Compressions	Heel of one hand, other hand on top	One or two hands, depending on size	Two fingers on the lower half of the breastbone
Depth	About one third of the chest	About one third of the chest	About one third of the chest
Rate	100 to 120 a minute	100 to 120 a minute	100 to 120 a minute
Ratio	30:2	30:2	30:2
Breaths	Tilt head back, pinch nose, blow about 1 second	Tilt head back, pinch nose, blow about 1 second	Tilt head only slightly, cover mouth and nose

Aim for about 5 sets of 30:2 in 2 minutes.
Give each breath until you see the chest rise. If it does not rise, check the airway and reposition.
If you cannot give breaths, do compressions only, without stopping.

Using an AED

An automated external defibrillator (AED) checks the heart rhythm and can give a shock. You do not need training to use one: turn it on and follow the voice prompts. Do not stop CPR or leave the person to fetch an AED; send someone else.

AED pad positions on an adult.

First pad below the right collarbone.
Second pad on the left side of the chest, below the armpit.

Children over 8 can use adult pads. Children under 8 ideally need paediatric pads; if there are none, use an adult AED.

When to stop CPR

The person recovers: they move, breathe normally, cough or talk.
A healthcare professional takes over or tells you to stop.
You are too exhausted to continue.

Recovery position and choking

When a person is unresponsive but breathing normally, place them in the recovery position and keep checking their breathing until help arrives. Lying on the side lets fluids drain from the mouth so they do not block the airway. An infant can be held in the recovery position along your forearm.

Rolling a person into the recovery position.

Place the arm nearest you out at a right angle, elbow bent.
Bring the far arm across the chest, back of the hand against the near cheek.
Bend the far knee up with the foot flat on the ground.
Roll the person towards you onto their side, top leg bent, head tilted back.

Choking: adults and children over 1

If they can cough, keep them calm and ask them to cough hard.
If coughing does not work, call 000.
Bend them forward and give up to 5 sharp back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand, checking after each one.
If that fails, give up to 5 chest thrusts: one hand supports the middle of the back, the heel of the other presses into the lower half of the breastbone.
Keep alternating 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until the blockage clears or help arrives.
If the person goes blue, limp or unconscious, start CPR, beginning with compressions.

Australian guidance does not use abdominal thrusts, because they can break ribs and damage internal organs.

Choking: babies under 1

Call 000. Lay the baby face down along your forearm with the head lower than the body, supporting the head and shoulders. Give up to 5 back blows. If that does not work, turn the baby onto their back on a firm surface and give up to 5 chest thrusts with two fingers on the lower half of the breastbone. Start CPR if the baby loses consciousness.

Bleeding, shock and nosebleeds

Apply firm direct pressure on the wound with a pad or hands. Use gloves if you have them.
Raise an injured limb above heart level if possible.
If blood soaks through, do not remove the dressing. Add more padding on top and bandage firmly.
Leave any embedded object in place. Press on either side of the wound, pad around the object, then bandage.
Call 000 for severe bleeding.

Shock

Shock means the body is not circulating enough blood. It is a life-threatening emergency. Signs include pale, cold, clammy or sweaty skin, breathlessness, extreme thirst, nausea and unconsciousness. Call 000, lay the person down, keep them warm, raise their legs if possible, and give nothing to eat or drink.

Nosebleeds

Sit the person upright and lean their head forward. Pinch the soft part of the nose, just below the bridge, for at least 10 minutes while they breathe through the mouth. Get medical help if bleeding goes on beyond 20 minutes.

Burns

Cool a burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes.

Cool running water from the tap.
The burnt skin under the water.
Keep cooling for at least 20 minutes.

Cool the burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes. Cooling can still help up to 3 hours after the burn.
Do not use ice.
Do not remove clothing or anything stuck to the burnt skin. Cut around clothing if needed, and remove jewellery only if it affects breathing or blood flow.
Keep the person warm: wrap unburnt areas, and stop cooling if they become very cold and shiver.
Get urgent help for deep burns, burns larger than a 20 cent piece, and burns to the airway, face, hands or genitals.

Snake and spider bites

Treat every snake bite as life-threatening. Call 000, keep the person still and calm, and apply a pressure immobilisation bandage:

Place a wide bandage firmly over the bite.
Wrap a second bandage firmly from the fingers or toes up the whole limb, snug enough that a finger cannot slide under it.
Splint the limb to keep it still.
Note the time of the bite and of bandaging.

Do not wash the bite: venom on the skin and clothing can help identify the snake.
Do not use a tourniquet, cut the bite or try to suck out venom.
Do not try to catch or kill the snake.

Spider	First aid
Funnel-web (or mouse spider)	Call 000, keep the person still and apply a pressure immobilisation bandage
Redback	Wash the bite and use a cold pack for about 15 minutes. No pressure bandage. See a doctor if symptoms are bad
Other spiders	Wash the bite and use a wrapped ice pack for pain and swelling

Medical emergencies

Anaphylaxis

Signs include difficult or noisy breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, wheeze or persistent cough, hoarse voice, and dizziness or collapse. Lay the person flat and do not let them stand or walk. Give an adrenaline autoinjector into the outer mid-thigh and call 000. More adrenaline may be given if there is no response after 5 minutes. If in doubt, give adrenaline. For someone with asthma and a known allergy who suddenly has trouble breathing, give adrenaline first, then the asthma reliever.

Asthma

Sit the person upright and stay with them.
Give 4 separate puffs of blue/grey reliever: shake, 1 puff into the spacer, 4 breaths. Repeat until 4 puffs are given.
Wait 4 minutes. If there is no improvement, give 4 more puffs.
If breathing does not return to normal, call 000 and keep giving 4 puffs every 4 minutes.

Stroke

Use FAST: Face (has the mouth drooped?), Arms (can they lift both?), Speech (is it slurred, do they understand you?), Time (call 000 straight away). Call even if the signs go away.

Heart attack

Warning signs include chest pain, arm or shoulder pain and shortness of breath. Some people feel sick, sweaty or dizzy, or have pain in the back, neck or jaw. If signs get worse or are no better after 10 minutes, call 000.

Seizures

Stay with the person, time the seizure and protect their head. Do not restrain them or put anything in their mouth. Afterwards, place them in the recovery position. Call 000 if the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, another seizure follows, they are injured, it happens in water, or they have trouble breathing.

Low blood glucose (hypo)

A person with diabetes who is shaky, sweaty, light-headed or confused may be having a hypo. If they can swallow, give fast-acting carbohydrate, such as 6 to 7 regular jellybeans or half a glass of fruit juice (not diet drinks). If they are drowsy, unconscious or cannot swallow, give nothing by mouth, place them in the recovery position and call 000.

Poisoning

For advice, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26, 24 hours a day from anywhere in Australia. If the person is unresponsive or has trouble breathing, call 000.