Links to other Policies
Your attention is drawn to the following associated policies:
· Accident Policy and Procedures
· Fire Safety and Evacuation Policies and Procedures
· Infection Control Procedures
· General Hygiene and Swine Flu Precautions
· Policy for the Storage and Administration of Medicines
· Safeguarding Children
Aims of this Policy
The purpose of this policy is:
1. To ensure a safe and healthy environment for staff, children, parents and visitors to the setting.
2. To ensure the responsibilities under The Health and Safety Act 1974 are adhered to.
3. To ensure all staff and parents understand their personal responsibilities.
Organisation of Responsibilities
The person with overall responsibility for Health and Safety at the Kindergarten is Mrs. Wendy Harris.
However all staff must co-operate fully in implementing health and safety initiatives and do everything possible to make sure injuries do not occur to themselves or others especially:
1. Ensuring the kindergarten health and safety rules and procedures are adhered to and monitored.
2. Identifying any risks and either eliminating or reporting them to Mrs. Harris.
3. Ensuring all children’s activities are age appropriate and safe, including tools or materials used.
4. Not doing anything to endanger their own health and safety or that of others.
5. Informing Mrs. Harris of any personal health issues which may affect working procedures.
6. Recording accidents in the Accident Books and reporting accidents to Mrs. Harris.
Security
· The gates to the Kindergarten area must be closed once the children have arrived for the morning session. They can be opened to allow parents to collect their children at the end of the morning session but staff must check that the gate has been closed again once all the morning children have left.
· At the beginning of the afternoon session a member of staff must open and remain on duty at the gate while parents and children arrive for the afternoon session and some lunch session children are leaving to ensure no children go through without parents.
· Parents are asked to co-operate by closing the gate behind them at all times.
· Access at any other time is obtained by ringing the bell on the gate. Visitors must be asked for identification before being allowed on the premises and should be supervised at all times.
Ensuring a safe environment for all.
· Before admitting children to the premises staff will check that the premises are safe and secure.
· All electric sockets not in use must be fitted with plug covers.
· Electrical testing of the buildings and equipment should be carried out on the required schedule.
· Kettles and hot drinks must be kept out of reach of the children.
· Knives for cutting food must be kept out of the reach of children or supervised very carefully if being used. Sharp knives should be stored point down.
· During the sessions water play must be supervised at all times. When not in use water trays must be covered or empty.
· No more than 3 chairs should be stacked together.
· All toys and equipment must be suitable for the age of the children using it.
· When storing and stacking equipment and resources staff must ensure that items will not fall.
· Care must also be taken when carrying items that they can see where they are going, the floor area is safe and items can not fall from what is being carried.
Hygiene - see also General Hygiene and Swine Flu Precautions
· Toilets, floors, works surfaces, tables and soiled equipment must be cleaned as required during sessions. Gloves are available if required.
· Daily Cleaning of the premises is undertaken at the end of days when the Kindergarten is open by a professional contractor.
· Toys and equipment should be checked for safety when they are put out and cleaned as required. More thorough cleaning should take place towards the end of each school year.
· Playdough should be replaced at least half-termly and if any transferrable infection such as threadworm is reported.
· Water trays should be emptied at the end of the day. Sand should be changed or disinfected with diluted sterilising fluid termly.
Storage and use of cleaning fluids and other chemicals.
· Cleaning fluids and other chemicals must be kept out of the reach of the children.
· The door to the staff toilet must be kept bolted when not in use as this is also used for storage of cleaning materials and fluids. Children are not allowed into the sheds.
· All cleaning fluids must be stored in their original containers, the instructions for use adhered to and due regard taken to any COSHH information.
· All materials used by the children must be non-toxic
· COSHH information supplied by suppliers should be read carefully, adhered to and filed in the back of the Risk Assessment File.
Risk Assessments
· Before carrying out any activity staff must consider any risk to themselves or the children and take all reasonable steps to prevent the likelihood of accidents.
· Risk Assessments are carried out on:
¨ regular risks areas.
¨ new or unusual activities.
¨ any activities off-site.
See Risk assessment file for details and precautions to be taken.
Sun Safety Procedures
· Children should bring a sun hat to the Kindergarten during the summer and will be required to wear it if they are playing outside. If they do not have their own hat they must wear one of ours.
· High factor sun protection cream should be applied to children before they are brought to the Kindergarten. Staff will only re-apply sun cream to children staying all day if a named tube/bottle of lotion is provided by parents.
· Where possible outdoor activities should be placed in shady areas.
· On extremely hot days children should be kept out of the sun except for short periods especially between 11am and 2pm, discouraged from running around too much and given frequent drinks of water.
Staff Personal Safety- see also Appearance and Dress Code and Fire Safety and Evacuation
· Staff should take care to lift correctly, bending at the knees, and not to lift items which are too big or heavy on their own.
· Staff are advised not to try to lift or carry a struggling or kicking child.
· Staff must follow instructions on the bottles if using cleaning fluids and other chemicals and use gloves provided if necessary.
· Staff must wear gloves when dealing with bodily fluids.
· Staff should ensure their Tetanus protection is up to date and check with their GP as to whether they should have Hepatitis C vaccination.