First Aid Kit Requirements for Concreters in Australia

If you're a concreter in Australia, your first aid kit needs to be appropriate for the hazards of your work. Concreting involves risks that go well beyond minor cuts and scrapes, including chemical burns from wet concrete, lacerations from formwork and reinforcing steel, eye injuries, manual handling injuries and heat-related illness.

This guide explains the first aid kit requirements for concreters, what Australian WHS law requires, the injuries your crew needs to be prepared for, and how to set up first aid kits across vehicles and work areas.

What First Aid Requirements Apply to Concreters?

Under Australia's WHS framework, workplaces must have first aid arrangements that are appropriate to the nature of the work, the hazards present and the number of workers. For concreting businesses, this means your first aid arrangements should reflect the higher-risk activities involved in concrete placement, formwork, reinforcing, cutting and finishing.

In practical terms, a concreting business should:

Provide first aid equipment appropriate to the hazards of the work
Make first aid equipment accessible to workers while they are working
Carry a suitable portable first aid kit when workers are operating from vehicles or moving between job sites
Ensure workers know where first aid equipment is located and how to access it
Have appropriate first aid training and emergency procedures based on the size, location and risks of the workplace
Regularly inspect and restock first aid equipment after it is used or when supplies expire

For mobile concreters, the practical takeaway is simple: a first aid kit sitting at the depot doesn't help much when you're injured on a pour several kilometres away. Your vehicle and work area need accessible first aid equipment appropriate to the risks you're exposed to.

For more information, see our guide to WHS first aid requirements by state and our guide to first aid kits in work vehicles.

What Injuries Should Concreters Be Prepared For?

Chemical Burns from Wet Concrete

Wet concrete is highly alkaline and prolonged contact with skin can cause chemical burns. The risk can be particularly serious when concrete enters boots, gloves or clothing and remains against the skin during a long pour.

Concrete burns can also develop without significant pain initially, so workers should not assume an injury is minor simply because it doesn't hurt immediately.

For concrete exposure:

Remove contaminated clothing, footwear and protective equipment as soon as it is safe to do so
Flush affected skin thoroughly with plenty of clean running water
Continue flushing while following the relevant Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and workplace emergency procedures
Do not attempt to neutralise the concrete with another chemical
Seek medical attention for significant burns or ongoing symptoms

The key items from your first aid kit include non-adherent wound dressings, wound cleaning supplies and gloves. For significant chemical burns, however, running water and prompt medical assessment are more important than anything inside the kit.

Eye Injuries from Concrete Splash

Concrete or cement entering the eye is a medical emergency. Alkaline materials can cause serious eye damage, so irrigation should begin immediately.

Do not rub the affected eye
Begin flushing immediately with clean running water or an appropriate eyewash
Continue irrigation for at least 20 minutes or according to the relevant SDS and medical advice
Do not attempt to remove anything embedded in the eye
Seek urgent medical attention after significant chemical exposure

The key items from your kit are saline eyewash and sterile eye pads. Trade Aid Kits include a 30ml saline eyewash unit along with sterile eye protection.

For larger concreting operations, remember that a small bottle of eyewash should not replace a dedicated eyewash facility where the risk assessment identifies the need for one.

Lacerations from Formwork and Reinforcing Steel

Formwork edges, reinforcing bar, tie wire, cutting equipment and other metal components create regular laceration risks on concreting sites. Hands and forearms are particularly exposed.

For bleeding injuries:

Put on disposable gloves before providing first aid where possible
Apply firm, direct pressure to the wound using gauze or an appropriate wound dressing
Maintain pressure if bleeding continues rather than repeatedly lifting the dressing to check
Once bleeding is controlled, cover the wound with an appropriate sterile dressing
For severe bleeding that cannot be controlled with direct pressure, follow your emergency response procedure and call 000
Seek medical attention for deep, gaping or contaminated wounds

The key items from your kit include nitrile gloves, gauze pads, combine dressings, pressure bandages, wound cleaning supplies, non-adherent dressings and adhesive tape.

Sprains, Strains and Other Musculoskeletal Injuries

Concreting is physically demanding work. Screeding, floating, manual handling, kneeling and working with vibrating equipment can place significant strain on the back, shoulders, wrists and lower limbs.

For suspected sprains or strains:

Stop the activity and move the person somewhere safe if they can be moved safely
Support the injured area and avoid unnecessary movement
For suspected fractures, do not attempt to straighten the limb
Use a triangular bandage as a sling for appropriate arm and shoulder injuries
Seek medical assessment when a significant injury is suspected

Trade Aid Kits include conforming bandages and triangular bandages to help support injured limbs while further medical assistance is arranged.

Heat Illness

Concrete work is often performed outdoors in direct sunlight, sometimes during long summer pours where workers are exposed to heat for extended periods. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are therefore important risks to plan for.

For suspected heat illness:

Move the person to a cool, shaded area
Remove unnecessary clothing and cool the person with water and airflow
If they are conscious and able to swallow safely, provide cool fluids
For suspected heat stroke, call 000 immediately and begin active cooling while waiting for emergency assistance

Heat illness isn't something a first aid kit alone can solve. Your site should also have access to drinking water, shade, suitable rest areas and a heat management procedure appropriate to the conditions.

How Many First Aid Kits Does a Concreting Crew Need?

There isn't one universal number of first aid kits that applies to every concreting business. Your setup should take into account the number of workers, the work being performed, the size and layout of the site, travel distances and how quickly workers can access medical assistance.

As a practical starting point:

Sole trader or small crew: Keep a Compact Kit in the work vehicle and make sure it is accessible at the point of work.
Multiple vehicles: Provide an appropriate kit for each vehicle rather than relying on one kit at the depot.
Medium-sized crew: Use a Classic Kit at the site office or main work area alongside Compact Kits in vehicles.
Large or spread-out sites: Consider additional kits at separate work areas so workers can access first aid without unnecessary delay.

The aim is simple: workers should be able to reach first aid equipment quickly when an injury occurs.

Compact vs Classic: Which First Aid Kit Is Best for Concreters?

Trade Aid Compact Kit: A practical option for sole traders, mobile concreters and individual work vehicles. At 0.47kg, it is lightweight and easy to keep in a vehicle or take to the work area.

Trade Aid Classic Kit: A more comprehensive option for site offices, sheds and larger fixed work areas. It provides additional supplies for managing a wider range of workplace injuries.

For larger concreting operations, a combination of Classic Kits at fixed locations and Compact Kits in work vehicles can provide better access to first aid across the site.

View the Trade Aid Compact Kit → | View the Trade Aid Classic Kit →

Don't Forget to Check and Restock Your Kit

A first aid kit is only useful if the supplies inside it are available and in good condition. Kits should be inspected regularly and restocked whenever items are used, damaged or expired.

For active concreting sites, it is worth incorporating first aid kit checks into your regular safety inspections. Check the contents, expiry dates, packaging and condition of the bag, and replace anything that has been used.

Our Complete Kit Refill ($69) provides replacement consumables without requiring you to replace the entire kit.

For more information, read our guide to first aid kit expiry and when to restock.

Make Concrete Burns and Eye Injuries Part of Your Site Safety Plan

Concrete exposure is sometimes treated as an unavoidable part of the job. It shouldn't be. Wet concrete can cause serious chemical burns, while concrete or cement entering the eye can cause significant and potentially permanent injury.

Make sure your crew knows how to access first aid equipment, where the nearest water supply or eyewash facility is located, and what to do if concrete gets on their skin or in their eyes.

Good first aid preparation isn't just about having a kit on the wall. It's about having the right equipment where the work is happening and making sure everyone knows how to respond.

Are First Aid Kits Tax Deductible for Concreters?

First aid kits purchased for legitimate business use may generally be deductible as a business expense. Keep your receipt and speak with your accountant or tax adviser about your individual circumstances and how the expense should be treated for tax purposes.

Shop the Compact Kit ($85) → | Shop the Classic Kit ($169) → | Bulk Buy Discounts →

First Aid Kit Requirements for Concreters in Australia