Do You Need a Snake Bite Kit for Work in Australia?

If your work regularly takes you outdoors, into rural areas, or near bushland anywhere in Australia, this is a genuinely fair question to ask. The answer depends less on your job title and more on the environment your workers operate in. If snake bite is a foreseeable workplace hazard, your first aid arrangements should include the equipment and procedures needed to respond correctly. Here is how to work out whether you need specific snake bite supplies, what WHS guidance says, and why a standard first aid kit may not always be enough.

Is a Snake Bite Kit a Legal WHS Requirement?

There is no single Australian WHS regulation that says every business must carry a standalone "snake bite kit". Instead, workplace first aid arrangements are expected to reflect the hazards, location, size, and circumstances of the workplace. Safe Work Australia's First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice specifically identifies snake bite as a risk that may require additional first aid supplies for outdoor work, including a heavy duty 10 cm crepe bandage.

That distinction is important. The legal obligation is to provide appropriate first aid arrangements based on your workplace risks, rather than simply ticking a box labelled "snake bite kit". If your workers regularly operate in areas where snake bite is a realistic possibility, your first aid provisions should be capable of supporting the recommended pressure immobilisation response.

Which Businesses Should Actually Have One?

Snake bite risk is genuinely occupational for a specific set of Australian industries. Landscapers and gardeners clearing overgrown blocks face regular exposure, as covered in our guide for landscapers. Farmers and agricultural workers face daily risk simply because of where they work. Miners and civil construction crews operating in regional and remote locations also regularly work in snake prone terrain. Fencing contractors, surveyors, linesmen, environmental workers, and other crews working around rural boundaries and bushland can face the same hazard.

If your work rarely takes you outside a suburban or urban environment, the risk may be lower, although it is never possible to assume that snake bite cannot occur. The best approach is to consider where your workers actually operate, how isolated they are from medical assistance, and whether snakes are a foreseeable hazard in those locations.

Why a General First Aid Kit May Not Be Enough

Many general first aid kits contain a crepe or conforming bandage, but having a bandage in the kit does not automatically mean the kit is properly equipped for pressure immobilisation following a suspected snake bite.

The Australian Resuscitation Council recommends applying a broad pressure bandage over the bite site and along the affected limb, followed by immobilisation. Elasticised bandages between 10 and 15 cm wide are preferred where available, while Safe Work Australia's model First Aid Code gives a heavy duty 10 cm crepe bandage as an example for workplaces where snake bite is a risk.

The important thing is having an appropriate bandage available in sufficient length to apply the technique correctly. A small dressing or short bandage designed for a minor wound is not an adequate substitute for proper pressure immobilisation equipment.

What a Proper Snake Bite Response Requires

The Australian Resuscitation Council recommends the pressure immobilisation technique for suspected snake bites in Australia. The basic response is to keep the person completely still, apply a broad pressure bandage over the bite site and along the affected limb, immobilise the limb, and call triple zero immediately.

Do not allow the person to walk, and do not remove the bandage once it has been applied. If you want the complete step by step response, our snake bite first aid guide for outdoor workers covers the technique in more detail, including what not to do after a suspected bite.

What Should Be in Your Kit?

If snake bite is a foreseeable risk in your workplace, your first aid arrangements should include equipment suitable for the pressure immobilisation technique. Depending on the work environment and your risk assessment, this can include:

Heavy duty pressure bandage: suitable for applying firm pressure over the bite site and along the affected limb
Elasticised bandage: preferably 10 to 15 cm wide where available, as recommended by the Australian Resuscitation Council
Triangular bandage: useful for supporting and immobilising the affected limb
Splinting equipment: where appropriate for the work environment, to help prevent movement of the affected limb
Permanent marker: useful for recording the bite site and time on the bandage for medical personnel

The exact contents should be determined by your workplace risk assessment rather than simply buying the biggest kit available. Safe Work Australia's guidance is clear that first aid requirements vary according to the hazards, size and location of the workplace.

Do Remote Workers Need More?

Snake bite becomes a more serious planning issue when workers are operating remotely or in areas where emergency medical assistance may take significant time to reach them. In these environments, first aid arrangements need to account for the additional risk created by distance and isolation.

Safe Work Australia's model First Aid Code specifically identifies snake bite supplies as part of the additional equipment that may be appropriate for outdoor and remote work. Remote kits may also require additional supplies such as a thermal blanket, torch, whistle and other equipment depending on the overall risk assessment.

This is particularly relevant for agricultural, mining, civil construction, surveying, environmental and other regional work where workers may be some distance from the nearest medical facility.

Does the Trade Aid Classic Kit Include a Snake Bite Bandage?

Yes. The Trade Aid Classic Kit includes a snake bite bandage as part of its standard contents, making it a practical option for businesses and workers who regularly operate in outdoor, rural or bushland environments. The Classic Kit is designed as a larger worksite kit for vehicles, workshops and main site setups, while the Compact Kit is designed for individual workers and smaller mobile jobs.

If snake bite is a specific risk for your workplace, however, always check that the equipment in your kit remains appropriate for the environment and that your workers understand the pressure immobilisation technique before an incident occurs.

The Practical Takeaway

If your business regularly operates in rural, bushland adjacent, or remote areas anywhere in Australia, snake bite should be considered as part of your workplace first aid risk assessment. You do not necessarily need a separate bag labelled "snake bite kit", but you do need appropriate first aid arrangements for the hazards your workers actually face.

Check whether your current kit contains a suitable pressure bandage, make sure it is accessible where the work is happening, and ensure your team knows the correct pressure immobilisation technique before an incident occurs. When it comes to snake bite, having the right equipment is only half the job. Knowing how to use it is what matters when the situation actually happens.

This is general safety information rather than medical advice. If you or someone with you has been bitten by a snake, call triple zero immediately and begin pressure immobilisation rather than relying on this guide alone.

Tax Deductible

First aid kits are generally tax deductible as a workplace safety expense for Australian businesses. Keep your receipt and speak with your accountant or tax adviser if you are unsure how the expense should be treated for your business.

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