Health and Safety Policy

POLICY CONTENT

Early Childhood Services can be a high-risk environment for incidents and accidents to children, families, Educators, and visitors. Our School is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy environment through comprehensive policies and procedures and managing risks and hazards appropriately and effectively.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

QUALITY AREA 2: Children's Health and Safety

2.1	Health	Each child’s health and physical activity is supported and promoted.
2.1.1	Wellbeing and comfort	Each child’s wellbeing and comfort is provided for, including appropriate opportunities to meet each child’s needs for sleep, rest and relaxation.
2.1.2	Health practices and procedures	Effective illness and injury management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.
2.1.3	Healthy lifestyles	Healthy eating and physical activity are promoted and appropriate for each child.
2.2	Safety	Each child is protected.
2.2.1	Supervision	At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard.
2.2.2	Incident and emergency management	Plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant authorities, practised and implemented.
2.2.3	Child protection	Management, educators and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities to identify and respond to every child at risk of abuse or neglect.

PURPOSE

The Education and Care Services National Regulations requires approved providers to ensure their services have policies and procedures in place to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of children, staff and families. We aim to protect the health, safety and welfare of children, educators, families, and visitors of the School by complying with current health and safety laws and legislation as outlined in this policy.

SCOPE

This policy applies to children, families, staff, management, and visitors of the School.

IMPLEMENTATION

New work health and safety (WHS) laws have commenced in the following States and Territories, using consistent WHS legislation instead of previous OH&S laws:

Commonwealth
Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Northern Territory
Queensland
Tasmania
South Australia

Victoria and Western Australia are yet to develop new legislation to reflect WHS terminology.
(Western Australia- Occupational Safety and Health Act and Regulations).

The National Quality Framework establishes the standards and learning frameworks to provide high quality inclusive education and care in early and middle childhood settings, which can only occur in a safe and healthy work environment. The NQF makes few references to work, health and safety legislation as it underpins this framework. “Quality Area 2…. reinforces children’s right to experience quality education and care in an environment that provides for their health and safety.” p: 138, 2020.

Thorough work health and safety policies, procedures and practices ensure that:

management fulfils its responsibility to provide a safe workplace, without any negative impact on the health and wellbeing of employees;
employees meet their health and safety obligations and are safe in the workplace; and
the work environment supports quality early education and care.

We are dedicated to ensuring that all health and safety needs are met through the implementation of a high standard of hygiene practices to control the spread of infectious diseases, the prevention and management of injuries and illness, and to provide a safe and secure physical environment for children.

Our staff are committed to assist in infection prevention controls and have completed the COVID-19 infection control training (not mandated).

The importance of children’s nutritional and physical health needs will be promoted by educating children about a healthy lifestyle which will be reinforced through the everyday routine and experiences.

We believe in quality education and care in an environment that provides for all children’s protection through adequate supervision, safe experiences and environments, and vigilance to potential risks. Educators at the School are dedicated to understanding their legal and ethical responsibility to protect the children enrolled at the School.

Choosing Appropriate Resources and Equipment

The Approved Provider will be ultimately responsible for any purchases of equipment.
Educators will document any equipment that needs maintenance on a prioritised basis.
Resources and equipment will be chosen to reflect the cultural diversity of the School’s community and the cultural diversity of contemporary Australia.
The School will actively pursue the contribution of families regarding toys and equipment at the School.
All new equipment will be checked against Australian Safety Standards.
Children will be carefully introduced to new toys and pieces of equipment and taught how to use and care for them appropriately.
Equipment that should only be used under supervision will be stored in a safe place out of children’s reach.
The use of pools and toys or equipment which involves the use of water will be used under the direct supervision of educators. All equipment will be emptied of water when not in use and stored in such a manner that it cannot collect water.
Equipment will be checked regularly by the educators to ensure it is in a clean and safe condition.
The Approved Provider will advise educators and parents about the purchase of new equipment and ensure a risk assessment has been conducted if required.

THE CHILDREN’S LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The School will keep a record of any changes that is made to the physical environment of the School, such as rearranging of rooms etc., to show continuous improvement. This will be done through critical reflection.
The School will document the links between the arrangements and choice of resources and equipment and the children’s learning in the program.

ON-GOING MAINTENANCE

The School will reflect on the environment and establish a plan ensuring that the environment continuously complies with our philosophy of providing a safe and secure environment, that is stimulating and engaging for all who interact with it.
The Approved Provider and Nominated Supervisor will also ensure that the School and its grounds comply with Local Government regulations, and regulations regarding fire protection, ventilation, natural and artificial lighting and safety glass.
Should the School undertake major renovations, management plans will be put in place to ensure that the safety of educators, children, families, and others at the School is not compromised.

SAFETY CHECKS

A daily inspection of the premises will be undertaken which will include the:

School perimeters
Fences/Fence Line
Gates
Paths
Buildings
All rooms accessible by children
Fixed equipment
Sand Pit/ Mud pit

This must be done in order to identify any dangerous objects in the grounds ranging from sharps to poisonous or dangerous plants and animals. To ensure best practice, the daily safety checks will be conducted prior to the children arriving at the School.

Similarly, trees in the grounds must be checked regularly for overhanging, dead or dangerous looking branches as well as checked for any infestations or nests.

Non-fixed play equipment in the School grounds can be no more than one metre high and must be supervised at all times by an educator.

The School will have regular pest inspections carried out by an accredited pest control company. Documentation of these inspections will be kept and any findings from the pest control check will be carried out in line with the recommendation of the pest control company.
Any required maintenance will immediately be reported to the Approved Provider/Nominated Supervisor who will make the appropriate arrangements to have repairs carried out.

Checklists

To ensure the safety of the school we complete opening/closing checklists of both indoor and outdoor environments.Opening the School Checklist Closing Checklist Procedure Procedure

CLEANING OF BUILDINGS, PREMISES, FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT

GENERAL CLEANING

The School will use structured cleaning checklists to ensure that all cleaning is carried out regularly and thoroughly.
To minimise our staff and children’s exposure to infectious diseases or viruses such as coronavirus (COVID-19) our School will adhere to all recommended guidelines from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
High touch surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected at least twice daily \
Our qualified cleaner will clean the School at the end of each day and educators will clean throughout the day as needed.
Accidents and spills will be cleaned up as quickly as possible to ensure that the School always maintains a high level of cleanliness, hygiene, and safety.
Cleaning checklists are completed daily. Cleaning Checklist Procedure Nursery Cleaning Checklist

When purchasing, storing and/or using any dangerous chemicals, substances, medicines or equipment, our School will:

adhere at all times to manufacturer’s advice and instructions when using products to clean furniture and equipment at the School
store all dangerous chemicals, substances, and medicines in their original containers provided by the manufacturer. All labels and/or use by dates should be kept intact at all times
ensure any substance found to be stored in a different container than originally provided, or with destroyed labels and/or unknown use by dates where appropriate will not be used under any circumstances
ensure containers are disposed of correctly following local council guidelines, and not reused under any circumstances
ensure all dangerous chemicals, substances and equipment is stored in a locked place or facility which is labelled, secure and inaccessible to children. These materials may include, but are not limited to, all cleaning materials, detergents, poisonous or dangerous substances, dangerous tools and equipment including those with sharp and razor edges, and toiletries
follow the instructions of manufacturers, particularly of any product which may need to be stored in a refrigerated environment
refrigerate substances that must be stored in a labelled, child resistant container, preferably in a separate compartment or in a part of the refrigerator inaccessible to children
ensure all hazardous chemicals are supplied with a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) (formerly called a Material Data Safety Sheet). Our School will adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions for use, storage, and first aid instructions recorded on the SDS.
ensure there is a register of all hazardous chemicals, substances and equipment used at the School. Information recorded should include where they are stored, their use, any risks, first aid instructions, and the current SDS. The register will be readily accessible
ensure appropriate personal protective clothing is worn in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions when using and disposing of hazardous substances or equipment.
seek medical advice immediately if poisoning or potentially hazardous ingestion, inhaled, skin or eye exposure has occurred, or call the Poisons Information Line on 13 11 26, or call an Ambulance on 000
ensure emergency, medical and first aid procedures are carried out, with relevant notification given to the appropriate authority that administers workplace health and safety and any other person or authority as required by regulations or guidelines
in any major emergency involving a hazardous chemical or equipment, a hazardous gas, or a fire or explosion hazard, call the emergency services: Dial 000 and also notify the appropriate authority that administers workplace health and safety and any other person or authority as required by regulations or guidelines

HAND WASHING

Effective handwashing is a vital strategy in the prevention of spreading many infectious diseases. Our School will ensure signs and posters remind employees and visitors of the importance of handwashing to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. All adults and children should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water and/or sanitiser:

upon arrival at the School
when hands are visibly dirty
when coming inside from being outside
before eating
before putting on disposable gloves
before preparing food items
before and after toileting children and coming into contact with any body fluids such as blood, urine or vomit
before and after wearing gloves to change infant nappies
after blowing your nose or sneezing and after assisting a child to blow their nose
after meals
after going to the toilet
before and after administering first aid
before and after administering medication
before and after preparing children’s bottles
after removing protective gloves
after using any chemical or cleaning fluid

MINIMISING POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES

Our School minimises the use of potentially dangerous substances. Ordinary detergents will be used to help remove dirt from surfaces. Colour-coded cloths will be used in order to eliminate cross contamination. Before returning to the children educators will wash and dry hands.

DISINFECTANTS

Disinfectants are usually unnecessary as very few germs can survive exposure to fresh air and natural light. In an outbreak situation, such as gastroenteritis or other infectious virus (COVID-19) the Public Health Unit or SafeWork Australia, may specify the use of a particular disinfectant and increased frequency of cleaning. In this situation, for the disinfectant to work effectively, there still needs to be thorough cleaning using a detergent beforehand.

Essentially, there is no ideal disinfectant. Disinfectants cannot kill germs if the surface is not clean. It is more important to ensure that surfaces have been cleaned with detergent and warm water than to use a disinfectant.

In the event of an outbreak of gastroenteritis, a disinfectant such as bleach solution may be used following the manufacturer’s directions- e.g.: White King Bleach (sodium hypochlorite 42g/L) diluted part bleach (25mL) in 40 parts water (1L) to make 0.1% solution. Gloves must be worn at all times when handling and preparing bleach and only be used after operational hours.

To kill germs, any disinfectant needs:

A clean surface to be able to penetrate the germ
To be able to act against those particular germs
To be of the right concentrate
Enough time to kill the germs, which is generally at least 10 minutes

DETERGENTS

To work in accordance with Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services, proper cleaning with detergent and warm water, followed by rinsing and air-drying kills most germs from surfaces as they are unable to multiply in a clean environment. Cleaning equipment should be stored and taken care of so it can dry between uses and not allow germs to multiply.

NAPPY CHANGE AREA

Nappy change areas must be cleaned after each use with no rinse sanitiser and dried with paper towel. Nappy change mats should be placed in the sunlight after being cleaned. Refer to Nappy Changing Policy and procedure.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR LAUNDERING OF SOILED ITEMS

Soiled clothing will be returned to a child’s home for laundering. Educators will remove soiled content prior to placing clothing into a plastic bag and securely storing these items in a sealed container not placed in the child’s bag.

CLOTHING

Educator’s clothing should be washed daily.
Educators should also have a change of clothes available in case of accidents.
Dress-up and play clothes out on display should be washed once a week.

TOY CLEANING

Educators are required to clean the children’s equipment and toys on a regular basis, and on a daily basis in rooms with younger children, in order to minimise cross contamination and the spread of illnesses. Educators will wash a toy immediately if it has been sneezed on, mouthed, and/or soiled or if it has been discarded after play by a child who has been unwell. The School will have washable toys for younger children. Toys and equipment must be cleaned more often in the event of an infectious disease or virus is present in the school or community- (COVID-19).

RECOMMENDED CLEANING MATERIALS

Most toys can be washed with normal dishwashing liquid and rinsed with clean water.
Get into corners with a toothbrush and allow to air dry (if possible, in the natural sunlight).
Leaving items such as LEGO and construction blocks to drain on a clean towel overnight is ideal.

WOODEN TOYS

Should be wiped over with a damp cloth – please do not immerse in water as this can destroy the equipment.

PLAY DOUGH

Our School will reduce the risk of the spread of disease when playing with play dough by:

encouraging hand washing before and after using play dough
storing the play dough in a sealed container in the refrigerator between uses
making a new batch of play dough each week, and
if there is an outbreak of vomiting and/or diarrhoea, discarding the playdough at the end of each day during the outbreak.

RATTLES AND BABY TOYS

Must not be immersed in water as it can get inside, rendering the toy useless.
Wipe thoroughly with hot water or a cloth with diluted detergent.

RIDE-ON VEHICLES AND OUTDOOR TOYS

Must be cleaned (children can often help with this activity).
Please take care not to leave outdoor toys exposed to the elements as this reduces their lifespan.

PUZZLES AND GAMES

Wooden puzzles as per 'Wooden Toys' above.
Cardboard puzzles should be wiped over with a slightly damp cloth.

SUN PROTECTION

Our School will work in compliance with the WA SunSmart Program to ensure children’s health and safety is maintained at all times whilst at the School. SunSmart recommends that all early childhood education and care services have a SunSmart Policy to reduce UV damage to those in care, including Educators. Our Sun Safety Policy has been accepted and approved by SunSmart.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Sun protection is required when UV levels reach level 3 or above. Our School will monitor UV levels daily through one of the following methods:

using smart phone SunSmart app
viewing Bureau of Meteorology website bom.gov.au
visiting myuv.com.au

The School will use a combination of sun protection measures whenever UV Index levels reach 3 and above.

Care is taken during the peak UV radiation times and outdoor activities are scheduled outside of these times where possible.
Minimising outdoor activities includes reducing both the number of times (frequency) and the length of time (duration) children are outside.
All sun protection measures (including recommended outdoor times, shade, hat, clothing and sunscreen) will be considered when planning excursions and incursions.

SHADE

The School will provide and maintain adequate shade for outdoor play. Shade options can include a combination of portable, natural and built shade. Regular shade assessments should be conducted to monitor existing shade structures and assist in planning for additional shade. Play experiences will be monitored throughout the day and moved as required to remain in the shade.

HATS

Educators and children are required to wear sun safe hats that protect their face, neck, and ears. A sun safe hat is:

Legionnaire hat- the flap should cover the neck
Bucket hat with a deep crown and brim size of at least 5cm (adults 6cm).
Broad brimmed hat with a brim size of at least 6cm (adults 7.5cm).

Please note: Baseball caps or visors do not provide enough sun protection and therefore are not recommended. Children without a sun safe hat will be asked to play in an area protected from the sun (e.g. under shade, veranda or indoors) or can be provided with a spare hat.

CLOTHING

When outdoors, educators and children will wear sun safe clothing that covers as much of the skin (especially the shoulders, back and stomach) as possible. This includes wearing:

Loose fitting shirts and dresses with sleeves and collars or covered neckline.
Longer style skirts, shorts and trousers.
Children who are not wearing sun safe clothing can be provided with spare clothing or will be required to play under shade or in an area protected from the sun or provided with spare clothing.

Please note: Midriff, crop or singlet tops do not provide enough sun protection and therefore are not recommended.

SUNSCREEN

As per Cancer Council Australia recommendations: All staff and educators and children will apply SPF30+ or higher broad-spectrum water-resistant sunscreen 20 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every 2 hours or more frequently if wiped or washed off. Sunscreen is stored in a cool, dry place and the use-by-date monitored.

BABIES

Recommendations for babies from the Cancer Council Australia include:

babies under 12 months will not be exposed to direct sunlight when the UV index is 3 or above and are to remain in dense shade when outside
they will wear broad brim hats and sun safe clothing.

If babies are kept out of the sun or well protected from UV radiation by clothing, hats and shade, then sunscreen need only be used occasionally on very small areas of a baby’s skin. The widespread use of sunscreen on babies under 6 months old is not recommended

ROLE MODELLING
All educators, staff at the School are required to role model appropriate sun protection behaviours by:

wearing a sun safe hat (see Hats)
wearing sun safe clothing (see Clothing)
applying SPF30+ broad-spectrum water-resistant sunscreen 20 minutes before going outdoors
using and promoting shade
wearing sunglasses that meet the Australian Standard1067 (optional)
families and visitors are encouraged to role model positive sun safe behaviour.

DELIVERY AND COLLECTION OF CHILDREN

The following procedure must be adhered to at all times to ensure the safety of the children.

ARRIVAL

All children must be signed in by their parent or person who delivers the child to our School
An educator is to check the sign in app ensuring families have signed their child in. If families have not signed the child in, the educator, or nominated supervisor will sign the child in, complying with Regulation 158.
An educator will greet and receive each child to ensure the child is cared for at all times.

DEPARTURE

All children must be signed out by their parent or person who collects the child from our School. If the parent or other person forgets to sign the child out, they will be signed out by the nominated supervisor or an educator.
Children can only be collected by a parent, an authorised nominee named on their enrolment record, or a person authorised by a parent or authorised nominee to collect the child. Children may leave the premises if a parent or authorised nominee provides written authorisation for the child to leave the premises.
Children will not be released into the care of a person not authorised to collect the child e.g. court orders concerning custody and access. If an unauthorised person is not willing to leave the premises without the child the educator will call the police.
Nominated Supervisors will ensure that the authorised nominee pick-up list for each child is kept up to date.
Nominated Supervisors will ensure that the authorised nominee pick-up list for each child is kept up to date. It is our policy that we do not allow anyone under the age of 16 to collect children.
No child will be released into the care of anyone not known to educators. Parents must give prior notice where:
- the person collecting the child is someone other than those mentioned on the enrolment form (e.g., in an emergency) or
- there is a variation in the persons picking up the child, including where the child is collected by an authorised nominee who is unknown to educators.
If educators do not know the person by appearance, the person must be able to produce some photo identification. If educators cannot verify the person’s identity, they may be unable to release the child into that person’s care.
If the person collecting the child appears to be intoxicated, or under the influence of drugs, and educators feel that the person is unfit to take responsibility for the child, educators will:
- discuss their concerns with the person, if possible, without the child being present
- suggest they contact another parent or authorised nominee to collect the child
- educators will inform the police of the circumstances, the person’s name and vehicle registration number if the person insists on taking the child. Educators cannot prevent an incapacitated parent from collecting a child, but must consider their obligations under the relevant child protection laws.
At the end of each day educators will check all beds and the premises including outdoors and indoors to ensure that no child remains on the premises after the School closes.
Children may leave the premises in the event of an emergency, including medical emergencies as outlined in our Emergency Evacuation Policy.
Details of absences during the day will be recorded.

VISITORS

To ensure we meet Work Health and Safety requirements and ensure the safety of our children, individuals visiting our School must sign in when they arrive at the School and sign out when they leave.

WATER SAFETY

Regulations state that schools in WA are not permitted to have pools unless they existed on the premises before 6 November 1996. However, to stop accidents and illnesses relating to swimming pools, wading pools, water troughs and other water situations our School will:

remove any items or objects that could be used to climb into the fenced area of a pool, trough, or water storage unit e.g. chairs, bins, bikes, any overhanging trees
conduct a risk assessment to minimise the risk or hazard to children
at all times children near water are closely supervised. A child will never be left unattended near any water
ensure that all water containers are made inaccessible to children and make sure children’s play areas are safely fenced off from water hazards such as rivers, dams, creeks, lakes, irrigation channels, wells etc.
immediately empty all wading pools/water troughs etc. after every use, storage should prevent the collection of water e.g., upright/inverted, also check grounds after rain or watering and empty water that has collected in holes or containers.
ensure wading/water trough are hygienically cleaned, disinfected and chlorinated appropriately:
- on a daily basis remove leaves and debris, hose away surface dirt and scrub inside with disinfectant
- wash away disinfectant before filling trough

KITCHENS

Children must not gain access to any harmful substance, equipment or amenity.
The kitchen has a door to prevent unsupervised entry by children into the kitchen.
The preparation of bottles for children under the age of 2 years is both safe and hygienic at all times and separate from nappy change area.

MONITOR AND REVIEW HAZARDS

Risk management is an ongoing process. Risks must be systematically monitored, and management strategies reviewed to ensure that they continue to be effective and contribute to a safe and healthy work environment. New hazards can emerge over time resulting in control strategies becoming ineffective and therefore may require updating.

BACK CARE AND MANUAL HANDLING

Manual handling is any activity requiring the use of strength used by the person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise move, hold or restrain any person or object.
Manual handling injuries may be caused by the activities listed above. Injuries can include back strains, similar strains and sprains in parts of the body such as the neck, arm, shoulder and knee.
Manual handling injuries also include overuse injuries or, because of falling during manual handling, bruising or laceration.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Western Australia: WorkSafe Western Australia regulates and promotes occupational safety and health regulations in the workplace commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe

For further information see: safeworkaustralia.gov.au/
Australian Government Department of Health Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) Children in early childhood and learning centres

SOURCE

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).
Cancer Council NSW. Early childhood and care sun protection policy: sunsmartnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Ch...
Cancer Council SunSmart sunsmart.com.au/communities/early-childhood-s...
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016).
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017).
Guide to the National Quality Standard. (2017).
KidSafe Australia: kidsafe.com.au
National Health and Medical Research Council. (2012) (updated June 2013). Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services.
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018).
Standards Australia. AS 1851-2005 (incorporating Amendment No. 1). Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment: saiglobal.com/PDFTemp/Previews/OSH/as/as100...
Work Health and Safety Act 2011

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