What’s in Your Kit if a Snake Strikes?
Australia is home to 20 of the 25 most venomous snakes on earth. During warmer months, snake sightings — and bites — spike across regional areas, worksites, and even suburban backyards. Are you ready?
This guide breaks down exactly what your first aid kit needs for snake bite treatment, what SafeWork Australia says about workplace prep, and how to get compliant fast.
⚖️ What the Rules Say About Snake Bite Kits
SafeWork Australia’s Model Code of Practice requires that workplaces are equipped to manage health risks in their specific environments. In regions where venomous snakes are present, that means having appropriate first aid gear — including compression bandages designed for snake bites.
Work health and safety (WHS) guidelines also state that kits must be tailored to risks identified in your workplace risk assessment. In snake-prone zones, a few Band-Aids won't cut it.
🔎 What We See on the Ground (From Assurance Training & Sales)
We’ve worked with rural councils, schools, farms and mining sites — and sadly, we’ve seen too many generic kits with no snake bite gear at all.
- One Dubbo school had a kit with expired gloves and no bandages.
- A farming client assumed their “outdoor kit” covered snake bites — it didn’t.
- Another site had a kit buried in a shed no one had opened in years.
We now include snake bite training in most regional CPR courses. Because once you learn how fast a bite can escalate — and how preventable the worst-case scenario is — you never leave it to chance again.
🔧 The Gear You Need — And Where to Get It
Snake bite first aid is specific. Here’s what every kit should include:
- At least two compression bandages with tension indicators (for proper pressure)
- A non-stretch crepe bandage to immobilise the limb
- Clear instructions for the pressure immobilisation technique
- A permanent marker to note the time of the bite
View our Snake Bite Kits here — they're built specifically for Australian workplaces, sport clubs, and outdoor teams. Hospital-grade supplies, built in Dubbo, NSW.
🔍 More Resources to Keep You Compliant
- Free First Aid Kit Checklist PDF
- Free Printable First Aid Sign
- Workplace-Compliant Kits
- CPR Courses for Businesses
- About Assurance Training & Sales
🥊 Don’t Risk It This Snake Season
Snake bites don’t just happen in the bush. They happen on farms, in schoolyards, near work sheds and even garden beds. Get prepared now — and sign up to our newsletter for free tools, tips, and compliance checklists.
Got questions? You can use the chat feature on our site to speak directly with me — Samantha — the author of this article. I’m here to help.
Written by Samantha, Director of Assurance First Aid Kits, EMT, Trainer & Assessor.
With over 20 years in first aid compliance training across Dubbo and regional NSW, Samantha helps businesses stay safe and compliant.
