First Aid Scissors, Forceps and Tweezers: Workplace Kit Guide

Written by the MediBC medical-supply team · Reviewed against Safe Work Australia first-aid guidance and healthdirect injury-management content · Updated June 2026.

Scissors, forceps and tweezers are the four small tools every Australian workplace and home first aid kit should contain — and the four tools that get bought wrong most often. A kitchen scissors is not a Lister bandage scissors. A cosmetic tweezer is not a fine-tip forceps. The wrong instrument turns a 30-second splinter removal into a finger laceration.

This guide explains which instrument does what, when to choose stainless steel versus disposable plastic, how to sterilise reusables correctly, and what your kit must hold to meet the model Safe Work Australia first-aid Code of Practice expectations. It maps to the six standard AEROINSTRUMENTS items most well-stocked Australian kits carry.

Why instrument choice matters in first aid

Instruments are the precision tools of a first aid kit. Bandages cover, dressings absorb, but instruments do the small careful tasks that need controlled force in a small space: cutting off a bandage near skin, gripping a splinter without crushing it, removing a tick without leaving mouthparts embedded. The cost of using the wrong tool is rarely catastrophic but always slows the job and sometimes adds a second injury.

Two-instrument rule of every basic kit

Every basic kit needs at minimum: one bandage scissors (preferably Lister with a probe tip), and one forceps or tweezers. Anything less and you cannot remove a soaked dressing without restarting the bleed, and you cannot remove a splinter without enlarging the wound.

Four-instrument rule of a workplace kit

A WHS-compliant workplace kit should contain: blunt/blunt general scissors, Lister bandage scissors, blunt-tip forceps for general grip, fine-tip forceps for splinters and small foreign bodies. Some workplaces add magnifying forceps and disposable plastic forceps for specific scenarios.

Scissors: blunt/blunt versus Lister bandage

The two scissor types in a workplace kit are not interchangeable. Each is designed for a different task and using the wrong one in the wrong place adds risk.

Blunt/blunt general scissors (13cm)

Both blade tips are rounded. The scissor handles are straight. Used for cutting tape from a roll, trimming gauze to fit a wound, cutting a triangular bandage to length, opening sterile packaging, snipping cordage. Should not be used to cut clothing or bandages off a casualty — they have no probe tip to protect underlying skin.

Lister bandage scissors (14cm)

One blade ends in a flat blunt probe tip with a slight bulb. The handles are angled so the blade lies parallel to the casualty's skin when the user holds the scissors normally. You slide the probe tip under the bandage, then cut without lifting the bandage away from the skin. The probe tip cannot puncture skin even under force.

When to choose which

If a casualty is wearing the dressing or bandage, use Lister. If the casualty is not wearing it (you are preparing materials before application), blunt/blunt is faster and gives a cleaner cut. Workplace kits should carry both because both jobs come up.

Forceps: blunt-tip versus fine-tip

Forceps are the spring-tensioned grip tools. They lock when you press them together and release when you let go. The tip shape determines what you can pick up safely.

Blunt-tip forceps (13cm)

Rounded tips, broad gripping surface. Used for picking up dressings from a sterile field without contaminating them, transferring gauze swabs during a dressing change, holding a wound edge open momentarily during inspection. Cannot puncture or scratch the patient even with firm pressure — appropriate for sterile-field work where contamination matters more than micro-precision.

Fine-tip forceps (8cm)

Pointed precise tips with anti-slip serrations on the inside surfaces. Used for splinter removal, glass fragment extraction, fish hook handling, tick mouthpart removal. The shorter 8cm length gives finer hand control for small-target work, and the serrated inside grip stops a smooth splinter from slipping during extraction.

Why two sizes matter

A 13cm blunt forceps cannot grip a 2mm splinter. An 8cm fine forceps would crush a folded gauze swab and is too short for sterile-field transfer. Workplace kits need both.

Magnifying-glass forceps: when integration matters

Magnifying forceps combine a 2-3x lens with a fine forceps tip. The user sees the magnified target through the lens while their hands operate the forceps below — both vision and grip working in coordination on the same fine target.

The classic use case: small splinters

A 2-3mm wood or fibreglass splinter is hard to see clearly with the naked eye, especially on pigmented skin or under fluorescent workshop lighting. Magnifying forceps let one person do the whole removal — see and grip — without needing an assistant to hold a separate magnifier.

Tick removal in field settings

Australian paralysis ticks (Ixodes holocyclus) have small mouthparts that break off easily and embed under the skin. Magnifying forceps let the first aider see exactly where the mouthparts are during slow upward traction — essential for getting the tick out intact.

Foreign body assessment in the eye

Magnifying forceps assist visual assessment of a foreign body under the lower eyelid or on the conjunctiva — but actual removal of an eye foreign body should be performed by a clinician unless it is loose and easily picked up on a damp swab. Embedded eye foreign bodies need emergency care.

Disposable plastic forceps: when not to reuse

Stainless steel is reusable; plastic forceps are not. The scenarios where plastic wins are specific.

Unknown infection risk

If you are treating a stranger with no medical history available, or a casualty in a high-risk infection setting (homeless outreach, refugee response, suspected blood-borne virus exposure), a disposable plastic forceps eliminates the cleaning-and-sterilisation cycle that would otherwise be required. Use, then discard.

Remote or austere environments

Bush camping, four-wheel drive expeditions, remote mining sites where running water and sterilisation are not available. Use the disposable, dispose of it in a sharps-style container.

Bulk-pack workplaces

Education settings (schools and childcare), large workforces with high incident volume, public-event medical posts. Disposable plastic forceps in a wall-mounted dispenser scale to throughput in a way that stainless steel does not.

What plastic forceps cannot do

Plastic deforms under load. They are unsuitable for tasks needing firm precision grip — embedded splinters in calloused skin, deep glass, fish hooks. Stainless still wins for any task needing real force on a small target.

How to remove a splinter correctly

Splinter removal is the single most common workplace use of forceps. The technique matters.

Step 1 — clean the area

Wash the splinter site with soap and water, then wipe with antiseptic. Splinters carry surface bacteria into the skin; cleaning first reduces infection risk.

Step 2 — assess the splinter direction

Look at the angle of entry. The splinter must be removed in the opposite direction — never crosswise or perpendicular. Pulling perpendicular snaps the splinter and leaves the deep portion in.

Step 3 — grip with fine forceps

Use fine-tip forceps to grip the splinter as close to the skin as possible. Steady pressure, no twisting. Twisting breaks splinters.

Step 4 — pull in the line of entry

Slow steady pull in the direct line of the splinter. Do not jerk. If the splinter resists, stop — the skin around it may need to be opened slightly with a sterile needle before continuing (or referral to GP).

Step 5 — clean and dress

Re-clean the now-empty hole, apply antiseptic, cover with a small non-adherent dressing. Monitor for 48 hours for any signs of infection.

How to cut a bandage off without nicking skin

Removing a soaked or stuck bandage with normal scissors is how secondary injuries happen.

Always use Lister scissors

The probe tip is non-negotiable. A blunt/blunt scissor has no probe tip and the blade rests on the skin — every cut risks a nick.

Slide the probe tip flat against skin

The probe goes between bandage and skin. Hold the scissors so the angled handle keeps the blade parallel to the skin, not perpendicular.

Cut in 2-3cm increments

Short cuts let you reposition the probe tip between each cut and keep the angle correct. Long cuts in one motion are how the probe tip wanders.

Avoid cutting over wounds

Cut along the side of the bandage away from the wound, not directly over it. If the bandage has dried onto a wound, soak it off with sterile saline rather than cutting.

Sterilising reusable stainless instruments

Stainless steel forceps and scissors last decades if you sterilise them correctly.

After every use

Rinse off blood and debris immediately while still wet — dried blood is much harder to remove. Use cold or lukewarm water (hot water sets protein onto the instrument).

Detergent wash

Wash with detergent and a small instrument brush in warm water. Pay attention to the joint pivot and any serrations — that is where blood and tissue hide.

High-level disinfection

Soak in 70% isopropyl alcohol for at least 10 minutes, or use a chlorhexidine 0.5% solution. Rinse with sterile water and air-dry on a clean towel.

Autoclaving (if available)

121C for 15 minutes is the standard hospital autoclave cycle for instruments. Smaller bench-top autoclaves are available for clinics and workplace medical centres. Autoclaving is the only true sterilisation; alcohol soaking is high-level disinfection.

Storage

Sterile instruments go in a sealed instrument tray or autoclave pouch with the date. Re-sterilise after 30 days even if unused — handling integrity is not guaranteed indefinitely.

What WHS rules expect in your workplace kit

The Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice (First Aid in the Workplace) does not specify instrument brands, but it sets the functional requirements every workplace must meet.

Adequate to the assessed risk

Your first-aid risk assessment determines instrument complement. An office can justify the basic two-instrument minimum; a workshop needs the full four; a high-risk site needs all six plus consumables.

Stored in an accessible kit

Instruments must be in the workplace first aid kit, not in a locked cabinet, not in someone's personal toolbox. The kit must be available to any worker who needs it without unlocking or sign-out.

Inspected and maintained

A nominated person inspects the kit at intervals matched to use (monthly to quarterly). Damaged instruments are replaced. Reusable instruments must be sterilised between uses on different casualties.

Common instrument mistakes to avoid

1. Using kitchen scissors as bandage scissors

No probe tip equals nicked skin. Even fast-and-skilled cuts produce small surface lacerations.

2. Reusing a splinter forceps without cleaning

The next splinter removal carries bacteria from the previous removal. Always clean immediately after each use.

3. Stainless instruments left wet

Stainless is corrosion-resistant, not corrosion-proof. Water left between the pivot joint and on serrations causes pitting and ultimately failure.

4. Confusing forceps with tweezers

Forceps spring-load. Tweezers (in the cosmetic sense) are unsprung and rely on user pressure. They are not interchangeable for any precision task.

5. Disposable plastic forceps for a serious extraction

Plastic deforms. For a deep splinter, fish hook or embedded glass, stainless is the only safe choice. Plastic for triage, stainless for the procedure.

Building your instrument complement

Recommendations by workplace category.

Office and retail (low risk)

Lister scissors, blunt-tip forceps, fine-tip forceps. Roughly three instruments cover paper cuts, tape work, minor splinters from displays or printer maintenance.

Light industrial, schools, hospitality (medium risk)

Add blunt/blunt scissors for tape/gauze preparation, magnifying forceps for paediatric splinter removal in schools, disposable plastic forceps for bulk use in school first aid rooms.

Construction, mining, manufacturing (high risk)

Full six-instrument complement, with duplicates for the highest-use items (Lister scissors and fine-tip forceps). Add a small instrument tray and the means to sterilise — alcohol bottles or a small autoclave depending on scale.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources and further reading

• healthdirect — Insect bites and stings (tick removal)
• healthdirect — Eye injuries (foreign body management)
• Safe Work Australia — First aid topic page
• TGA — Medical devices regulatory framework

Related guides on MediBC

• Non-adherent dressings and gauze swabs: sizing guide
• Splint sizing guide for workplace first aid kits
• Workplace first aid cabinet guide