Kit Contents & Compliance
Not all first aid kits are equal — and on a construction site, the difference between a compliant kit and a generic chemist kit can matter a lot more than people realise. Here's a plain-English checklist of what should actually be in a construction site first aid kit in Australia.
Why Construction Sites Need More Than a Standard Kit
A standard low-risk workplace kit is designed for paper cuts, headaches, and minor sprains. A construction site is a different environment entirely — with real risks of deep lacerations, eye injuries, burns, crush injuries, puncture wounds, and more.
Under Safe Work Australia's Code of Practice, construction is classified as a high-risk workplace. Your kit needs to reflect that — not just tick a box.
The Construction Site First Aid Kit Checklist
Use this as a guide when checking your current kit or choosing a new one.
Wound Care Essentials
- Large bandaids (15+ recommended)
- Regular bandaids (25+ recommended)
- Non-adherent wound dressings — medium and large sizes
- Combine dressing pad (20 x 10cm minimum)
- Wound closure strips / steri-strips
- Conforming cotton bandage (5cm and 7.5cm widths)
- Triangular bandage
- Hypoallergenic adhesive tape
- Sterile gauze pads
- Skin cleaning wipes / alcohol prep pads
Eye and Burn Treatment
- Sterile eye pads (minimum 2)
- Saline eyewash solution (30ml minimum)
- Hydrogel sachets for burns (minimum 3)
- Eye cup for rinsing debris
Tools and Instruments
- Metal scissors — not plastic, they need to actually cut
- Tweezers
- Splinter probes (minimum 5)
- Safety pins
- Disposable nitrile gloves — at least 2 pairs, large size
- Fever scan strip
Emergency and Specialised Items
- CPR mask or face shield with one-way valve
- CPR instruction card
- Snake bite bandage — especially for outdoor and regional sites
- Pressure bandage (10cm x 1.8m)
- Emergency blanket / space blanket
- First aid instruction booklet
What Generic Kits Usually Miss
Most off-the-shelf kits from supermarkets and chemists are built for home or low-risk office use. Here's what they typically leave out that construction sites actually need:
Common gaps in generic kits
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Snake bite bandage — critical for outdoor and regional worksites, almost never included in standard kits
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Eye cup — essential for flushing debris from eyes on dusty sites
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Hydrogel for burns — one of the most common construction site injuries
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Pressure bandage — for serious bleeding control
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Metal scissors — plastic scissors are useless for cutting clothing or dressings
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Enough supplies — generic kits are notoriously understocked for real worksite use
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Labelled compartments — in an emergency you don't have time to read every packet
Kit Organisation Matters as Much as Contents
Having the right supplies is only half the equation. If your kit is a jumble of loose items in an unlabelled bag, it's not going to serve anyone well in an emergency. Every section of a proper construction first aid kit should be clearly labelled so anyone on site — trained first aider or not — can find what they need immediately.
A disorganised kit is almost as useless as no kit at all. Labelled compartments save time when time matters most.
Keeping Your Kit Stocked
A first aid kit that's been sitting in the ute for three years with half the bandaids used and several items expired isn't a first aid kit — it's a liability.
Under WHS regulations, first aid kits must be regularly inspected and restocked. Assign someone on site to check the kit monthly and after any time items are used. Trade Aid Kits' refill kit lets you restock exactly what's been used without replacing the whole kit.
The checklist summary
- Wound care: bandaids, dressings, bandages, gauze, tape, closure strips
- Eye and burn: eye pads, saline eyewash, hydrogel, eye cup
- Tools: metal scissors, tweezers, splinter probes, gloves
- Emergency: CPR mask, snake bite bandage, pressure bandage, emergency blanket
- Organisation: clearly labelled compartments throughout
This checklist is based on Safe Work Australia guidelines. Requirements may vary by state, territory, and site-specific risk assessment. Consult your WHS regulator for advice specific to your workplace.
