First aid trainer teaching anaphylaxis awareness and allergy emergency response in Australia

Anaphylaxis Readiness Checklist for Schools, Clubs and Workplaces

October 09, 2026

Anaphylaxis and Asthma

A plan is more useful when everyone knows how to put it into action. Could a relief staff member find the adrenaline device? Would a volunteer know who calls the ambulance? This checklist helps you find the gaps before you need the response.

By Britt Brennan, REACHAU | Reviewed 13 October 2026

Emergency happening now? Use the person’s ASCIA Action Plan or the ASCIA First Aid Plan. Give adrenaline promptly for suspected anaphylaxis and call 000. Do not work through this checklist during an emergency. Open the 5 step response card.

Quick answer: Anaphylaxis readiness means accessible plans and equipment, people who recognise the emergency, clear responsibilities and practice in the setting where you work or play.

How to use this checklist

Tick a statement only when your team can demonstrate it. An unticked box is a job to assign, not a reason to feel judged. The ticks stay on your screen for this visit only. Nothing is saved or sent, so record your actions in your usual system.

There are 28 statements in six sections. Your progress bar, section chart and action list update as you tick.

The readiness checklist

0 of 28 statements ticked

1. Know the person and the plan

Why this matters: The plan and the device only help if the person responding can find them straight away.

We know about disclosed allergies and who has been prescribed an adrenaline device. Relevant staff can access this information appropriately.Each person prescribed a device has their own completed and signed red ASCIA Action Plan, with instructions matching their device.We display the orange ASCIA First Aid Plan with general-use devices. We understand that it is not a person’s individual medical plan.We follow up recommended plan reviews and treatment changes. An ASCIA Action Plan does not expire simply because its review date has passed.Relief staff and volunteers know where to find the relevant plan and equipment.

2. Make equipment accessible

Why this matters: A device that is expired, overheated or out of reach cannot do its job. Devices also differ between brands, so people need to know the one that is actually on hand.

We check device expiry dates and storage conditions against the manufacturer’s instructions, including during transport.Someone on each shift can show exactly where devices are and how to reach them quickly.We practise with the appropriate trainer device. We never activate a real medicine device during a drill.We know which device is actually available and use its own instructions. We do not assume different brands work the same way.

3. Plan food, activities and handovers

Why this matters: Risk sits in food, excursions and handovers, not only in the room where the plan is displayed.

We check ingredients and allergen information and have a process for managing food cross-contact.We check the arrangements for excursions, camps, sporting events and transport before departure.Our handovers cover allergies, action plans and device locations, including when a person moves between groups.We check the requirements that apply to our own school, childcare service, workplace or club. This checklist is not evidence of legal compliance.

4. Rehearse the response

Why this matters: Practice turns a stressful moment into a sequence you have already done: position, adrenaline, call 000, reassess, keep going.

We can recognise suspected anaphylaxis without waiting for skin changes.We practise safe positioning and know not to let the person stand or walk, including after apparent improvement.We practise giving adrenaline promptly and calling 000 for an ambulance. Another helper can call while treatment starts.We understand that an asthma reliever does not replace adrenaline in suspected anaphylaxis.We record treatment times and know that another adrenaline dose may be needed if symptoms persist after five minutes, following the action plan and device instructions.We know to start CPR immediately if the person becomes unresponsive and is not breathing normally, and use an AED as soon as available.

5. Add the regional and remote WA checks

Why this matters: The longer help takes to arrive, the more the response depends on your own preparation: clear location details, a working way to call, and rehearsal where the activity happens.

We have written location details, access instructions and arrangements to guide emergency services to the casualty.We have checked communications coverage and a workable emergency communication backup for our actual route or site.We have planned with the appropriate health professional for medicine supplies and delayed access to medical care.We account for heat exposure in parked vehicles, equipment storage and trips.We rehearse the response where the activity actually happens, not only in the staff room.

6. Prepare for handover and follow-up

Why this matters: Feeling better is not the same as being safe. A clear handover and a no-blame review make the next response stronger.

We can give paramedics the symptoms, changes, device details and treatment times.We know that improvement does not cancel the need for ambulance assessment and hospital observation.We have a process to replace used devices, document the incident and support the people involved.We review what helped and what needs changing, without blame.

Your results at a glance

This chart shows how many statements you ticked in each section. A short bar is not a failure. It shows where to start.

Know the plan

0/5

Equipment

0/4

Food and activities

0/4

Rehearsal

0/6

Regional and remote

0/5

Handover and review

0/4

Total: 0 of 28 ticked. A completed checklist alone does not establish readiness or compliance.

Your action list

Every unticked statement appears here. For each gap, write down the action, the person responsible and the date it will be checked.

Tick the statements your team can demonstrate and your gaps will appear here.

Turn each gap into an action

Find the gapTick only what your team can demonstrate.

Name the jobWrite the action, the person responsible and the check date.

Fix or rehearseClose the access gap or run a short scenario with a trainer device.

Test it on a hard dayTry it with a relief worker, on an excursion or at a shift change.

Review, no blameKeep what helped. Change what did not.

What you find	What to do next
Cannot locate the device or plan	Resolve access and brief the team before relying on the arrangement.
People know the steps but have not practised	Run a short scenario with a trainer device and clear roles.
A process works on an ordinary day	Try it with a relief worker, at an excursion or during a shift change.

A two minute team rehearsal

Use a fictional scenario: someone develops suspected anaphylaxis at your usual activity. Ask one person to show where the equipment is, one to practise the 000 call without dialling, and one to record the simulated treatment times. Discuss how safe positioning and immediate treatment would happen. Use a trainer device only.

Check your understanding

Choose an answer to see why it matters. These questions support learning. They are not a competency assessment or a certificate.

Common questions

Is this checklist a legal compliance document?

No. The operational checks are REACHAU planning prompts, not a statutory checklist. Check the requirements that apply to your own school, childcare service, workplace or club, and follow each person’s individual medical plan.

Does someone need a rash before we give adrenaline?

No. Anaphylaxis can happen without skin symptoms. ASCIA advises that if in doubt, give adrenaline. Sudden breathing difficulty, throat or tongue swelling, a hoarse voice or collapse after possible allergen exposure all need action now.

Can an antihistamine or asthma reliever replace adrenaline?

No. Adrenaline is the first-line medicine for anaphylaxis. An antihistamine or asthma puffer does not treat the whole reaction. If someone has a known allergy and sudden breathing difficulty, give adrenaline first, then the asthma reliever, and call 000.

Should the person still go to hospital if they look better?

Yes. Improvement does not cancel the need for ambulance assessment and hospital observation. ASCIA advises observation in hospital for at least four hours after anaphylaxis, even if the person seems well.

Can we practise with a real adrenaline device?

No. Practise with the appropriate trainer device and the instructions for the device you actually carry. Never activate a real medicine device during a drill.

Practise with your team

I focus on the why so people can make sense of what they are doing and feel more confident helping someone. Bring your team’s questions into practical first aid training.

View upcoming first aid sessions Call 0481 123 204

Prefer to train your whole school, club or workplace together? Call or send an enquiry about onsite training.

Training and Assessment is delivered by Britt at Regional Education and Career Help Australia on behalf of ABC First Aid RTO 3399.

Sources and scope

Response guidance checked against ASCIA First Aid for Anaphylaxis on 13 October 2026, ASCIA positioning guidance and ANZCOR Guideline 9.2.7. Individual ASCIA Action Plans take priority. The operational checks are REACHAU planning prompts, not a statutory checklist. Follow individual medical plans and the requirements applicable to your organisation.

REACHAU (Regional Education and Career Help Australia) | Perth and regional Western Australia | 0481 123 204

Training and Assessment is delivered by Britt at Regional Education and Career Help Australia on behalf of ABC First Aid RTO 3399.

Britt Brennan

Britt Brennan is on a mission to redefine First Aid training through the lens of empowerment and "quiet capability." As the founder of REACHAU, she leverages her Bachelor of Health Science and Diploma of Mental Health to deliver training that is as much about psychological readiness as it is about physical skill. Britt’s unique approach is shaped by her ancestral roots in regional WA and her diverse Canadian-Jamaican-Australian heritage. She specialises in trauma-informed strategies that stick, ensuring her students leave with unforgettable muscle memory and the confidence to take action when it matters most.

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Anaphylaxis Readiness Checklist for Schools, Clubs and Workplaces

How to use this checklist

The readiness checklist

1. Know the person and the plan

2. Make equipment accessible

3. Plan food, activities and handovers

4. Rehearse the response

5. Add the regional and remote WA checks

6. Prepare for handover and follow-up

Your results at a glance

Your action list

Turn each gap into an action

A two minute team rehearsal

Check your understanding

Common questions

Is this checklist a legal compliance document?

Does someone need a rash before we give adrenaline?

Can an antihistamine or asthma reliever replace adrenaline?

Should the person still go to hospital if they look better?

Can we practise with a real adrenaline device?

Practise with your team

Related reading

Sources and scope