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First Aid Pocket Guide · Australia

Snake & spider bite

Call 000. Keep still. Bandage. Immobilise.
EMERGENCY000
Suspected venomous bite?Treat it as an emergency, even if the bite is painless or the person feels well.
A pressure-immobilisation response with a person kept still, a full lower-leg bandage and splint, and a bystander calling 000.
Keep still, bandage the whole limb from the toes upwards and wait for 000 help.
ACT NOW

The pressure-immobilisation sequence

For a suspected Australian snake or funnel-web spider bite

  1. 1
    Call Triple Zero (000)

    Ask for an ambulance. Put the phone on speaker if possible.

  2. 2
    Keep the person still

    Reassure them and keep them lying or sitting still. Do not let them walk.

  3. 3
    Bandage over the bite

    Use a firm, wide bandage over the bite site first.

  4. 4
    Bandage the whole limb

    Start at the fingers or toes and work up over the entire limb.

  5. 5
    Splint and wait

    Immobilise the limb, note the bite and bandage times, and monitor constantly.

BANDAGE & IMMOBILISE

Firm pressure, from the fingers or toes upwards

Keep the bandage on. Mark the bite site and write down the time of the bite and when the bandage was applied.

1Over the bite2Whole limb3Splint
IMPORTANT

Know when pressure immobilisation applies

Use it forAustralian venomous snakes, funnel-web spiders, blue-ringed octopus and cone shells.
Not for every spider bitePressure immobilisation is not recommended for redback or other spider bites. Seek medical advice for serious or worsening symptoms.
Do notwash the bitecut or suck ituse a tourniquetcatch or kill the animal
They collapse or stop breathing normally?Start CPR immediately and follow the 000 call-taker. Do not remove the bandage.
THE SHORT VERSIONKeep them still. Keep the bandage on. Keep watching their breathing.

Quick reference only. Stay with the person, keep them still and monitor breathing continuously. Tell responders the time, location and suspected animal.

Reviewed against ANZCOR Guidelines 9.4.1, 9.4.2 and 9.4.8 and Healthdirect Australia · August 2026 · firstaidpocketguide.com

Free Australian A4 printable

A pressure-immobilisation reminder for Australian outdoor and first-aid kits.

This one-page snake and spider bite guide puts the time-critical response in a clear sequence and separates venomous bites that need pressure immobilisation from spider bites that do not.

01

Keep them still

Movement can spread venom. Call 000, reassure the person and keep them under constant observation.

02

Bandage the whole limb

The visual shows the pressure sequence from the bite, across the entire limb and into a splint.

03

Know the boundary

Pressure immobilisation is not a universal spider-bite treatment. Follow the creature-specific guidance.

Medical review trail

Australian guidance, plainly linked.

General information only. This printable is an independent learning aid, not a diagnosis or a replacement for emergency care or accredited first-aid training.

Healthdirect AustraliaSnake bites →ANZCOR Guideline 9.4.1Australian snake bite →ANZCOR Guideline 9.4.8Pressure immobilisation →ANZCOR Guideline 9.4.2Spider bite boundaries →