Principle and statement of intent
The health, safety and welfare of all the people who work or attend Bumbles Day Care are of fundamental importance. We aim to provide a healthy, safe and stimulating environment in which to work and play. Good health habits that are developed early in life are likely to be continued, therefore it is our intention to promote a healthy diet for our children along with adequate rest and exercise and encourage good hygiene practices for both staff and children alike.
At Bumbles Day Care we all work to ensure the setting complies with:
- Health and Safety at Work Act (1974)
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999)
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) (2002)
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations (1992 (As Amended 2004))
We endeavour to ensure that:
- a high level of health and safety is maintained at all times for all those coming into contact with our setting
- all children, parents, staff and volunteers are aware of health and safety issues
- hazards and risks are minimised to enable the children to thrive in a healthy and safe environment
Bumbles Manager will act as the Health and Safety Representative and has undertaken health and safety training and regularly updates her knowledge and understanding. The Manager will:
- Ensure that due care is taken for the health and safety of the staff, children and any persons on the premises in accordance with the health and safety polices of Bumbles Day Care.
- Provide information, instruction and supervision for employees in all health and safety matters.
- Prevent accidents and cases of work related ill health, as is reasonably possible, by doing risk assessments.
- Ensure all emergencies or other health and safety procedures are recorded, reviewed and updated on a regular basis.
- Ensure that adequate first aid facilities are always available.
- Ensure that any accident/incident form completed by staff has been done so correctly and filed in children’s individual files.
- Keep an up to date record of any accidents or incidents which happen on the premises and ensure that as per RIDDOR any incidents, diseases or dangerous occurrences or certain injuries are reported to HSE NI using form N12508.
- Ensure that any hazardous materials are risk assessed under COSHH guidelines.
- Ensure that a fire drill is carried out and recorded once per month.
PROCEDURES
ACCIDENT / EMERGENCY PROTOCOL – See also separate Emergency Policy
At the time of induction all staff are trained in the completion of accident forms. We currently complete these via digital app and parents / carers sign off by “acknowledging” the form. Parents will get a notification via the app to let them know that their child has had an accident. If the accident warrants a phone call or message, staff will phone ahead before uploading the accident form. For example, if an accident has caused a nose bleed, or if they have had a more serious bump to the head.
In an emergency situation when an ambulance needs to be called, the team will alert the Person in Charge and an ambulance is contacted. The other children would be removed from the area to play in a different room / playspace. The PIC would also contact the child’s parents to make them aware of the situation. We seek written permission from all parents / carers to take their child to hospital in an ambulance if they cannot be contacted.
After the accident, the PIC would alert the Health and Safety Executive / RIDDOR as and when appropriate. The area would then be risk assessed and a detailed investigation would be carried out to see how the accident happened, if it could have been avoided and if we can avoid a similar accident in the future.
Insurance cover
At Bumbles Day Care there is public liability insurance and employers’ liability insurance.
Due to insurance cover children may not enter Bumbles Day Care before 7:45 am and MUST be collected by 5:45 pm under normal circumstances.
The certificates are displayed on notice boards in the settings. Management will ensure that this is renewed annually.
Training/Awareness Raising
All staff/volunteers/placement students complete a thorough induction process.
During induction training staff and volunteers are provided with a clear explanation of health and safety issues and are provided with all the policies and procedures of the setting.
Induction training covers matters of employee well-being, including safe lifting and the storage of potentially dangerous substances.
Records are kept of these induction training sessions and new staff and volunteers are asked to sign the records to confirm that they have taken part.
Health and safety issues are explained to the parents/carers of new children, so that they are fully aware of the policies and procedures which are in place for their child’s well-being.
As necessary, health and safety training is included in the annual training plans of staff, and health and safety is discussed regularly at management and staff meetings.
At Bumbles Day Care there is a no-smoking policy. Staff, parents or visitors are not permitted to smoke in any area of our settings. Staff members are also not permitted to smoke in the immediate outdoor vicinity of the setting.
Health and safety issues are regularly identified with the children through discussions, planned activities and routines.
Safety of Adults
Induction training covers matters of employee well-being, including safe lifting, movement and the storage of potentially dangerous substances.
Safe equipment, e.g. step ladder, is provided to ensure high areas can be reached.
All warning signs are clear and in appropriate languages.
Staff are aware that there is no lone working permitted in the setting.
Accident and incident reports are maintained and are reviewed regularly to identify any issues that need to be addressed.
There is a record of all substances that may be hazardous to health e.g. such as cleaning chemicals. This states what the risks are and what to do if they have contact with eyes or skin or are ingested. It also states where they are stored.
All cleaning chemicals are kept in their original containers.
We have a robust Infection Control Policy and Room Care routines to ensure both high standards of personal hygiene as well as cleanliness of the premises. These follow the guidelines published by the Public Health Agency (PHA) in their booklet ‘Infection prevention and control, Best practice advice for nurseries and childcare settings’.
Activities and resources
All resources are checked to ensure that they are safe for the ages and stages of development for the children currently attending the setting.
The layout of activities ensures adults and children to move safely and freely.
- All equipment is regularly checked for cleanliness and safety, and any dangerous items are to be removed immediately for repair or discarded with the consent of the manager/management team.
- Any spillage will be cleaned immediately to prevent accident.
- All materials, including paint and glue, are non-toxic.
- Sand is clean and suitable for children’s play.
- Physical play is constantly supervised.
- Children are encouraged to respect their environment and the equipment provided.
- Children learn about health, safety and personal hygiene through the activities we provide and the routines we follow
- Children who are sleeping are checked regularly with sleep records maintained.
Alcohol / Substance Abuse
Bumbles staff members are not permitted to be on the premises whilst under the influence of alcohol, illegal substances or any prescribed medication that might impair good judgement, reaction time etc.
If a staff member has a concern about another staff member, it is their duty to report this as quickly as possible. (Refer to Whistle Blowing policy.)
Where Bumbles staff are concerned that a parent/carer who is collecting a child is under the influence of alcohol or another substance, the child will not be allowed to leave with this collector. Staff will inform the manager and another authorised collector will be contacted.
Care in the Sun
At Bumbles Day Care, as we increase our time spent outside, we need to take appropriate precautions on days when sunburn may be an issue. Even on cooler days with light cloud cover there is still a risk from UV rays.
We ask parents to provide appropriate t-shirts, perhaps with collars, and that cover the shoulders in particular and also to provide sun hats. The staff team will encourage each child to wear their hat.
We ask parents to provide appropriate sunscreen. We recommend one suitable for sensitive skin, with a high sun protection factor and that will protect from a broad spectrum of rays. Parents are asked to give their permission for sunscreen to be applied as necessary, that is, a small amount on unprotected areas. Staff must ensure that sunscreen is applied correctly. If a child develops an adverse reaction to the sunscreen supplied, the staff team will bring this to the parents’ attention.
We will maintain hydration in warm weather by offering extra drinks and on request from the children. Ice pops or homemade ice lollies will also be given to encourage children to cool down.
Staff will include sun awareness and sun safety issues as part of the curriculum.
At Bumbles Day Care we aim to ensure that all staff will follow these protection procedures and to encourage the staff team to act as role models.
Allergies
On registration any known allergies are recorded and an individual care plan put in place, this will include:
- Details of the allergy
- Signs and Symptoms
- Prevention strategies e.g. Dietary requirements
- Medication including, if an EPI pen has been provided in case of severe anaphylactic reaction
- Emergency contacts
All products used by Bumbles Day Care have been checked for known allergens and these are recorded along with names of children who have specific allergies to any of these products in Bumbles file: Safe Catering – Our Guide to Hazard Analysis.
At meal and snack times we use named placemats to ensure that children with known allergies do not receive any food containing that allergen.
At Bumbles Day Care our policy is to operate a NUT FREE ZONE across all our settings, although we recognise that this cannot be guaranteed. Any new families or staff are made aware that we do not allow nuts or nut products within our setting for snack, lunches or party/seasonal treats.
Kitchen
Children must be closely supervised at all times while they are in the kitchen and should only stay in the non-working area of the kitchen. Only Bumbles staff may enter the work area.
Safety is paramount in the kitchen, and work surfaces will be kept clean and wiped daily with disinfectant. Food will be stored in clean dry cupboards or fridge (which is kept at the required temperature) and foods stored separately to prevent cross contamination. More detail on Food Hygiene is in our Infection Control policy.
Waste disposal
Any waste that is contaminated or contains bodily fluids is double bagged before disposal. The kitchen bins are emptied as needed but at least daily, into the appropriate bins for collection by the council.
Indoor Safety
Our ‘Room Care Routines’, ensure that attention is paid to both personal hygiene and the cleanliness and safety of all play equipment. There are routine risk assessments and checks to ensure that:
- All electrical appliances and their fittings conform to safety requirements.
- Plug points – children should be discouraged from touching switches and trying to turn them on and off.
- When using electrical equipment staff should ensure that trailing cables do not pose a hazard to the children.
- All furniture and fittings are maintained to safety standards
- Floor coverings are secure and slip resistant
- All soft furnishings and textiles are flame retardant
- Radiators kept below the maximum temperature of 650 C, with guards on radiators that are at child level.
- In the bathrooms, the water will be checked regularly to ensure correct temperature for hand washing i.e. 43oC.
Entrances and Exits
All main entrance doors to Bumbles are kept locked with entrance gained via a buzzer system. A member of staff will always be on door duty to ensure that the door is closed properly after children arrive or depart.
Bumbles 1 and Bumbles By The Park have flights of internal stairs (Bumbles 1 equipped with gates). Children must always be accompanied on the stairs, with one member of staff in front of the children and one behind and ensure that stair gates are properly closed. No pushing or running is allowed on the stairs. Most importantly, staff and parents must always remember to close the stair gates properly behind them.
Hallways and exit doors are to be kept free of clutter to allow for easy evacuation of Bumbles premises in the event of a fire.
Nursery / Garden Flow
To avoid a large gathering of children at any one time, and to minimise the risk of accidents the following procedures should be adhered to.
Groups should avoid criss cross in landings or on stairs by communicating with other groups before moving.
All groups should use the Garden area separately and care / attention should be given to ensure that groups do not criss cross in coming in from / going out to the garden
In all instances, where there is any doubt around whether a group has returned from their activity in any given area, the Co-ordinator should make use of the phone system to ascertain this rather than making the assumption
Head counts should be carried out frequently within any given age group, especially so when returning inside from the garden
When in the garden all staff should ensure that all areas are covered and all children are being supervised appropriately
Appropriate use should be made of the group (had been garden) phone to alert staff inside, should cover be required e.g. in the case of an accident
Fire Drills
Fire Drills are carried out once a month, (see fire Evacuation Procedures). These are recorded and fire equipment checked and serviced frequently. All staff are trained on the correct procedures in the event of an emergency occurring.
Outdoor Safety
All outdoor areas will have had a risk assessment recorded and will be checked and cleaned before the children use them.
A head count of children must be taken before going out and again when coming in.
When children are outside in the playground areas, in line with our risk assessment procedures, the playground area entrance/exit will always be supervised by a member of staff.
In winter when the cold weather indicates, salt (stored in the yard) should be scattered on the steps and car park area.
On outings, children will always be appropriately supervised:
- Under 3’s – Either, properly harnessed in prams: holding on to the hand of a staff member: walking whilst wearing reins and also holding the hand of a staff member, depending upon the needs of the individual child
- Over 3’s – Walk whilst holding on to the hand of a staff member.
At Bumbles Day Care, we believe that outings are safer and more enjoyable for staff and children alike if they are in small groups and we will always aim for a high staff to child ratio of between 1 : 1 or 1 : 2. This is in line with Social Services Out and About Guidelines:
- Ratio: 1 Adult – 2 Children where children are under school age
- Ratio: 1 Adult with Single or Double Pram with one child holding onto the pram, (with reins as determined by age)
- Ratio: 1 Adult – 4 Children. Walking with after school children
- Ratio: 1 Adult – 5 Children. School collection in car
Vehicles
Bumbles Day Care provides a school collection service and will also arrange special outings. All vehicles used in transporting children, whether nursery or privately owned must be properly licensed, inspected and maintained and Bumbles’ staff are aware that it is their responsibility to ensure that they comply with this. Staff members who collect children in cars are all appropriately insured for business use and car safety seats are provided for all children.
Car Park
The car park area must be kept free of any obstructions. As space is limited, staff are not permitted to use Bumbles car park. Parents are requested when using car park to exercise caution, and be mindful of pedestrians and cyclists that may also be using car park.