Health and Safety Paper

Contribute to Children and Young People’s Health and Safety. Know the health and safety policies and procedures of the work setting. Outline the health and safety policies and procedures of the work setting: There are a variety of policies and procedures that support the health and safety of children and staff.

These are examples of our policies: – Safeguarding policy states that if any member of the team has any safeguarding concern for any child, we must follow the safeguarding step by step poster which is available to access telephone numbers of the relevant authorities. The procedure is that if we had any concerns about the safety and wellbeing of a child, we would initially report it to Kelly our (Designated Safeguarding Officer) and she would assess the situation and follow it up as appropriate.

If it wasn’t resolved, we would report it to the appropriate agencies if necessary. Medicine policy says that we must get all the thorough information of any dose of any medication and how much they were given. The procedure of administering medicine is that we must take the child to one of the room managers or senior managers and give them the dose in their presence, we then must record it appropriately. Security policy tells us that we must do safety checks every time the children go out into the garden. There is a checklist in every room for the garden checks to be filled out and a member of staff goes into the garden whilst the children are putting their coats on to check that all the gates are locked, no signs of damage and there are no intruders. The managers do building checks at the start and end of every working day.

Manual handling policy states how we should carry in the correct way to avoid injury. The procedure advises that having arms and legs shoulder width apart, knees bent with back straight and use two hands to pick the object and keep back straight on the way back up. You should place the object down by bending your knees again. The policy states you should lift a child the same way. Cleaning policy says that we must store all cleaning products and equipment away from children and out of their reach to prevent chemical poisoning. The procedure for this is that whenever there is anything that needs cleaning, we must ensure that any cleaning products we use must not be left unattended when children are present. The policy gives suggestions for safe use of products. For example; when wiping tables for meal times we must spray the product into the cloth rather than directly onto the table to avoid splashing and aerosols.Photography policy states that we must have parental consent to take any photographs of their children.

Parents of new children fill forms in if they give permission for us to take photographs for use on display boards and observation tablets recording children’s developments and for use on our website. These forms are filed away so the nursery know what the parent wishes are. Parents and staff are not permitted to use their mobile phones on the premises when children are present to avoid unconsented photographs being taken. Hand hygiene policy is designed to reduce spread of infection by ensuring staff are trained in the correct hand hygiene techniques. Correct hand hygiene will reduce cross contamination through hand contact. Identify the lines of responsibility and reporting for health and safety in the work setting:The team’s responsibility would be to take any remedial action in making a hazard safe whilst the issue was being rectified.

The line of responsibility would be for any team member to initially report it to your room manager, they would then follow that up by telling Kelly (Line manager), Sarah (Deputy manager) or Bea (Third in charge). The management team, they would then call the area manager. Outside agencies could be contacted where appropriate for example RIDDOR(Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations ) or The Health and Safety Executive who’s role is to improve health and safety to prevent potential cases of children and staff being injured, becoming unwell or possible death at work. Explain what risk assessment is and how this is managed in the work setting:The management team will carry out risk assessments which look at potential risk of the hazards being evaluated. The management team will decide whether an activity or apparatus it is safe. They look at the severity of the problem and make a plan to ensure that it is taken care of as soon as possible. Where necessary a report on the issue, posted on the wall next to the problem, to make sure that everyone in the building knows how serious it is, potential consequences and advise it should be avoided. For example, there has recently been a risk assessment taken out on the mound in our garden. The mound has developed dips in the surface, so it is a high risk if someone goes on it, they may fall over causing injury.

So, it has been alerted to all members of staff to encourage all children to stay off it until the hazard is rectified. Know what to do in the event of a non-medical incident or emergencyIdentify non-medical incidents and emergencies that may occur in the work setting:Non-medical incidents or emergencies that occur in the workplace could be fires, floods, power cuts, cuts and grazes from falling over. Outline the actions to take in response to the following situations: a) Fires- If the fire alarm sounds, we would take the register and gather the children up in a single file line by the fire exit door. We would escort them to the assembly point in the rear car park. In accordance with our fire evacuation routine, each child’s name is called from the register to ensure they are with their group and out of the building. The same procedure for staff with the staff register. The management team who are designated fire marshals will phone the emergency services, assess the situation and check that everyone is out of the building. They will come back out and fill in all the appropriate forms and then everyone will wait until the emergency services arrive.b) Security incidents- If a security problem was to arise, we would make sure to gather the registers and children and evacuate them out of the building to a safe place. We would not allow the children back into the setting until the issue has been resolved.

For example, if somebody had broken into nursery, we would inform the parents of what has happened, we would advise them not to bring in their child until called to do so. The management team would call the police to come to the setting to see what the problem is, whether anything has been stolen and if it is safe to open the nursery for the day. c) Emergency incidents- The management team would be informed immediately; they would decide the best course of action. For example, if a child or member of staff had a medical emergency for example cardiac arrest we would call an ambulance immediately and we would carry out CPR until the medical professionals arrive. We would follow what we were trained to do in first aid which is called DR ABC, (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation).Be able to follow the work setting procedures for reporting and recording accidents, incidents, emergencies and illnessesDescribe the reporting procedures for accidents, incidents, emergencies and illnesses:We would first report the accident/incident to room manager. If necessary, we would ask them to check the camera to see what happened. The management team would be informed. If necessary, parents would be contacted about the situation.

When first aid is administered to a child or member of staff, an accident/injury form will be filled in with relevant details, type of first aid used, how the injury was sustained, description of the injury and where it was visible on the body. The manager will sign and file the form. In the case of emergencies, the nursery needs to be informed of the situation at the start of the nursery working day whether that is a child or colleague. When illnesses occur, depending on the severity and whether it is contagious, the nursery must be informed of the symptoms. The child or member of staff must not return to the setting until 48 hours after the symptoms have stopped. Complete work place documentation for recording accidents, incidents, emergencies and illnesses: We have many types of documentation for recording accidents and illnesses such as temperature charts, medicine forms, two different accident forms one of them being if the child has an accident at the setting, we fill it in to say how they got the injury and where the injury is.

The other form is to let us know about how they got any injuries they come with to the setting with outside of the nursery. We have incident forms that we fill in if a child has an incident with any other child in the nursery. After the appropriate forms have been filled in correctly, the management team sign it and file it in the child’s folder. Know the work setting’s procedures for receiving, storing and administering medicinesIdentify the procedures of the work setting governing the receipt, storage and administration of medicines: When we receive medicines, we must have the child’s full name, date of birth, name of the medicine, time and the dose to be administered. Prescription only medicines must have the pharmacist’s signature on to ensure that we can give the child this medicine. Some medicines must be stored in the fridge. All medicine must be stored out of reach of children to avoid danger of overdose. Depending on what type of medicine it is we should store it in the correct environment, for example; if a child has to have cream applied it should either be kept in their personal bag, refrigerator or in the medicine box in their classroom.

Administration of medicines must be done in the presence of a room manager or member of the senior management team for example Kelly, Sarah or Bea.The type of medicine, dose and time is recorded on the “Medicine Form”. We must have the time and dose of the previous administration if any.The forms are placed in the child’s personal file.Explain how the procedures of the work setting protect both children and young people and practitioners: Safety of children and staff is protected by following policies which are designed to care for the children in a safe environment. Staff are protected by following procedures in their duty of care, so the children are safe. Staff following policies and procedures correctly are protected in their role. Safeguarding policy protects children by providing safe to avoid harm coming to them, it also protects staff to ensure they don’t have allegations made against them. Security policy protects children and staff by ensuring the environment is safe and there are no intruders.

Manual handling policy protects both children and staff from physical injury. Medicine policy protects children by reducing the risk of overdose. Staff are protected by ensuring they aren’t at the risk of being disciplined from overdosing the child. Cleaning policy protects children from becoming unwell from possible consumption of chemicals and it protects the staff by making sure they are not responsible for this. Photography policy protects children from unwanted use if their images. Staff are protected by not being at risk of allegation for not following their duties correctly. Hand hygiene policy is designed to reduce spread of infection by hands. Be able to recognise risks and hazards in the work setting and during off site visitsExplain why a safe but challenging environment is important for children and young people: Children learn through experience and through trial and error. They learn well by trying something repeatedly by figuring out what to do next time when they find something challenging.

They need to be able to explore safely to improve their physical and mental skills and need support to lower the risk of injury when they find something difficult. Children are constantly learning, by overcoming dangers they can learn to minimise risks, which encourages their future development. For example; a child swinging on a chair and falling after an adult advised not to will make sure they hopefully learn not to swing on chairs in the future. Identify the differences between risk and hazard:A risk is the likeliness no matter how high or low that any hazard will actually cause somebody harm. A hazard is an agent which has the potential to cause harm to a vulnerable target. A hazard is the physical event that will harm someone because the risk wasn’t taken care of to prevent it from arising in the first place that caused injury or illness.

The difference between the two is the risk is theoretical event and a hazard is the physical event. Identify potential hazards to the health, safety and security of children or young people in the work setting: Health: Medical emergenciesSafety: Slips and trips, Falling, Fires, Equipment (Slides and mound etc)Security: Confidentiality, Photography, Damaged equipment, IntrudersContribute to health and safety risk assessment in areas of the work setting and for off site visits: Know what to do in the event of a child or young person becoming ill or injuredIdentify the signs and symptoms which may indicate that a child or young person is injured or unwell: Signs: You will notice will be that the child will not be themselves, might be emotional, might be lethargic, will be distant from other children, might be clingy to adults around them, possibility of being unconscious, sign of blood, being in pain and cant move around, cut or wound, swelling around injury. Symptoms: Vomit, Rashes, Diarrhoea, Coughing, Swelling, Fatigue, Pain, Difficulty breathing, Dizziness and lightheaded, Headache, Itchiness.Identify circumstances when children or young people may need urgent medical attention: In the case of medical emergencies it could be urgent due to: Serious cuts and wounds, Asthma, Sprains and strains, Broken bones, Anaphylaxis, Chocking, Cardiac arrest, Head bumps, Epilepsy, Seizures, Burns, Hypothermia, Meningitis, Sickle cell disease.

Outline own role and responsibilities in the event of a child or young person requiring urgent medical attention:I would shout for help straight away and begin to treat the child related to the appropriate first aid technique. In the case of me being the first in attendance with a child it could be necessary to phone the ambulance myself. If there was someone else, I would request for them to either treat the child whilst I phone an ambulance or vice versa. Upon waiting for the medical professionals to arrive my responsibility would be to administer any first aid as required. A colleague or I would inform the management team.

Following this we would contact the child’s parent or guardian to come to the hospital. The medical professionals will arrive and are taken through to where the child is and it will be advised to them what happened and the first aid you administered. We would complete the incident / accident report book. I would inform the key worker of the child who would accompany them to the hospital with all the forms filled out. Be able to follow infection control proceduresOutline procedures for infection control in own work setting: Initially the parent should inform the nursery that their child has an infection and they should keep the child off nursery. Ensuring the nursery is thoroughly cleaned. Hand hygiene is very important and should be carried out regularly. Food hygiene must be observed constantly to avoid cross contamination. The child must be free of symptoms for 48 hours before the child may return to the setting. When the child does return and are on any medication, they need to be administered following the medication policy.Describe personal protective clothing that is used to prevent spread of infection:When cleaning, changing nappies, cleaning up after children having accidents, clearing up vomit, we use disposable aprons and gloves. This is to prevent cross contamination. Wearing gloves does not remove the need for effective hand hygiene. We wear a clean uniform each day.

Demonstrate use of personal protective clothing to avoid spread of infection: In situations where personal protective equipment (PPE) is necessary, we first put on the apron and tie it at the back around the waist then put our gloves on. When removing PPE we remove gloves first. With one hand pinch the top of the opposite glove and turn it inside out. The removed glove is held in the still gloved hand, upon removing the second glove repeat the same thing, making it into a ball. After this we take off the apron by tearing the apron around the neck away from you and the same with the tie around the waist, folding it inside out.

Demonstrate how to wash and dry hands to avoid the spread of infection:

• Step 1-Wet hand under water.
• Step 2-Use enough soap to cover all surfaces of both hands.
• Step 3-Rub hands palm to palm.
• Step 4-Rub left palm over right dorsum, fingers interlaced and vice versa.
• Step 5- Palm to palm fingers interlaced.
• Step 6- Backs of fingers to opposing palm with fingers interlocked.
• Step 7-Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice versa.
• Step 8- Rotational rubbing, backward and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in palm and vice versa. Step 9-Rinse hands with water.
• Step 10- Dry hands thoroughly with single use disposable towel.
• Step 11- Use towel to turn off faucet.
• Step 12- Use steps 2- 8 using antibacterial hand sanitiser.
• Step 13- And your hands are safe.

Demonstrate safe disposal of waste to avoid the spread of infection:

• Step 1- After changing a child, we put either the dirty nappy in the nappy bin or underwear if it was an accident you were changing into a disposable nappy bag.
• Step 2- We would then spray the nappy mat we cleaned the child on with antibacterial spray and wipe it down with a disposable paper towel.
• Step 3- We would then take off the disposable apron and gloves and put them in the general waste bin at the side of the nappy bin.