HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY

RATIONALE

To ensure the health and safety, including the wellbeing, of all children, staff and visitors of Curious Minds Early Learning is protected and promoted.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to promote excellence in health and safety management by taking all reasonable steps, to ensure the health and safety of those who attend, work, and visit Curious Minds Early Learning Centres.

This policy will comply with legal and organisational obligations by managing risks effectively through our procedures, identifying and controlling actual and potential hazards.

REFERENCES AND REGULATIONS

Te Whāriki (2017): Well-being/Mana Atua:

Children experience an environment where: Goal 1 - Their health is promoted.

     Goal 3 - They are kept safe from harm.

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008: (45) Premises and Facilities, (46) Health and safety practices standard.

Licensing Criteria for Education & Care Services 2008 and Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework (amended 2022): PF2, PF5, PF8, PF17, PF28, HS1, HS3, HS4, HS6, HS8, HS12, HS13, HS15, HS16, HS18, HS21, HS22, HS24, HS25, HS26, HS27, HS34.

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Owners and Centre Manager are responsible for providing and maintaining:

• A safe working environment.
• Safe systems of work that prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health by managing health and safety risks in the workplace.
• Equipment in a safe condition.
• Facilities for the welfare of all staff.
• Engagement and consultation with employees on day-to-day health and safety conditions.
• Clear instructions and information, and adequate training, to ensure employees/ contractors/ working volunteers are competent to do their work safely and with regard to health.

Employees are responsible for:

• Ensuring their own personal health and safety, and that of others in the workplace.
• Complying with any reasonable directions given by management for health and safety (such as workplace procedures, wearing personal protective equipment).
• Participating in health and safety training and ensuring they know, understand, and implement all health and safety policies and procedures.

All others who are regular visitors to the Centre (e.g. student teachers, regular contractors, learning support staff etc) are expected to:

• Be familiar with Curious Minds Early Learning health and safety policies.
• Report any hazards, incidents, or accidents they see to either Management or Room Leaders.

PROCEDURES

Health and Safety Co-ordination

• All team members and visitors must, at all times, follow the instructions of Management and this policy regarding health and safety.
• Each visitor to the Centre signs in, has access to the health and safety points relevant to them and confirms their understanding of them.
• All new employees are inducted into the Centre and information and training is given regarding health and safety within the workplace and working with children.
• A Health and Safety officer is appointed and reviewed annually.  They are responsible for completing a monthly check and to feedback to all staff members. They are also responsible in ensuring Centre emergency and First Aid supplies are kept up to date and replenished when required. Appendix One: First Aid Kit Requirements‍
• All permanent staff will hold a current first aid certificate. Keeping certificates current is the personal responsibility of staff. Annual obtaining and renewal opportunities are offered, and staff are encouraged to attend these out of operational hours once every two years.
• Regular emergency safety drills are incorporated into the children’s programme, so children and staff know what to do in case of an emergency. Earthquake and Fire drills are preferably completed monthly. This may be adjusted by the Centre Manager based on the needs of the Children at the time but must be completed within a 3 monthly timeframe. Lockdown, Tsunami (applicable to Centre’s within the Wellington Tsunami Zone) and Red Sound drills (applicable to Queenstown) must be completed every 2-3 months. Appendix Two: Evacuation Drill Form

Room Management

• Rooms used by children are kept at a comfortable temperature no lower than 18˚C (at 500mm above the floor) while children are attending.
• Teachers are responsible for the supervision of each group of children at all times. Staff are responsible for activities and potential risk of harm and are required to look up from involvement to scan effectively.  
• Supervising location/position must provide maximum observation to ensure potential or actual incidents are observed and intervention is possible.  Transitions to new locations must ensure continuity of supervision by informing other staff members.  Programmes and routines are phased in and out promptly.
• Staff and parents are responsible for securing fences, gates, doors, and windows so children cannot leave the Centre without parents or staff.
• Teachers are responsible for ensuring resources and equipment are promptly stored and restored to correct storage places and that storage cupboards are secured shut and cannot be accessed by children.  
• In managing risk effectively all staff will take every precaution to ensure children, other team members, and visitors to the Centre are safe from harm. This includes promptly reporting any unforeseen risks to relevant person(s).
• All practicable steps are taken by Teachers to ensure that noise levels do not unduly interfere with normal speech and/or communication, or cause any child attending distress or harm.
• Staff are responsible for child safety and the use of a safety harness in car seats when applicable.

Cleaning and Hygiene

• Staff are responsible for storing poisonous substances in a secure cupboard away from children e.g. cleaners, bleaches, and disinfectants. All chemical bottles will be labelled with a title, its dilution ratio and what it should be used for.
• Curious Minds Early Learning employs cleaners who ensures the Centre is cleaned daily, in accordance with the Centre cleaning schedule.
• Cleaning buckets, used by staff or the cleaners will not be emptied into any sink used for handwashing or food preparation. This includes the art sinks. Instead, cleaning buckets will be emptied into a toilet, outside drain or laundry sink. As much as possible, all cleaning products will be environmentally friendly.
• Staff are responsible for ensuring everything needed to change a child’s nappy is on the change table before beginning and will not leave a baby or child alone on a change table.  Children are changed immediately when soiled. Nappies are promptly and hygienically disposed of, and the change surface is cleaned after use.  Change routine should incorporate positive interactions with children.
• Hand washing facilities are located for all children to access safely and independently. Soap and hand drying materials are made readily available. All young children will wash their hands with soap after every visit to the toilet and prior to and after eating food. Toddlers will be assisted to wash their hands after each nappy change and prior to and after eating food. Babies and toddlers will be assisted to wash their hands with a warm clean cloth/flannel before and after each meal or snack time. These cloths/flannels will go into a bucket for washing immediately after a child has used it.
• All play objects and materials will be cleaned regularly with warm soapy water and sanitised. In case of outbreaks eg. Gastroenteritis, play objects and materials will be cleaned as soon as possible to avoid further spread of illness. The removal of specific toys from the play space will be considered to reduce the spread of illness and messy and water play will cease.

Food Related

• Hot drinks must be kept off the floor. Only water is to be drunk on the floor as staff are expected to role model healthy eating practices.
• All children will sit down to eat, and a teacher will be with them at all times while they are eating and drinking.
• Hand washing and general hygiene routines are observed when adults and children are handling food.
• When preparing food, all cuts and sores will be covered with blue plasters and if cuts and sores are on hands then disposable gloves will be worn as an additional measure of protection.
• Sterile dish washing facilities ensure eating utensils are cleaned thoroughly.
• Kitchen and cooking facilities are designed to prevent children from unsupervised access.

Illnesses

• To minimise illness among children, staff, whānau and visitors of Curious Minds Early Learning will promote good hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette, and follow health advice about keeping any specific individuals away when required.
• All persons (children, staff, and whānau) suffering from infectious/notifiable diseases, including vomiting/diarrhoea will be excluded from the Centre until 48 hours after symptoms have disappeared.
• If a child becomes unwell while attending the Centre, other children are to be kept at a safe distance to minimise the spread of infection and the unwell child is returned to the care of a parent or other person authorised to collect the child without delay.
• If a family member is unwell and is bringing a child into the Centre with a risk of spreading illness, a plan can be put in place to support drop offs and pickups in a safe and manageable way.

Building and Maintenance

• Management is responsible for installing smoke alarms, keeping fire equipment up to date and installing heating equipment which is not hazardous to young children.
• Managers are responsible for recording repairs and maintenance requirements in the maintenance folder and sending it promptly to the person responsible for maintenance.
• All heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall, or topple, and cause serious injury or damaged are secured.
• The temperature of warm water from taps that are accessible for children to wash their hands is no higher than 40˚C.

Hazard Identification and Minimisation

All staff are responsible for identifying hazards, informing management and staff by completing the ‘Daily Hazard Checklist’ and ‘Weekly Playground Checklist’ (see Hazard Register).

Information and documentation will be stored in the Health and Safety Folder.

• Identify the Risk Benefit
• Identify the Hazard Risks – if deemed hazardous
• Eliminate – as per documentation
• Isolate – as per documentation
• Minimise – as per documentation

Where it is necessary to remove equipment in need of repair, or isolate or minimise the risk of danger from the equipment or property, staff will advise other staff through the appropriate communication channels.

All staff are required/responsible for recording every injury, illness and incident of children or staff at the Centre.

Where there is serious injury, illness or incident while at the Centre, Management will notify the appropriate agency such as Worksafe or Regional Public Health. We will also notify the Ministry of Education at the same time as required.

Sun Safety

• Shade is provided in the outdoor area from the beginning of daylight saving to the end of day light saving (October to April).
• The Centre encourages and promotes that children spend limited time in the sun, by following an inside and then outside flow.  This ensures children aren’t exposed to the sun for long un-interrupted periods of the day.
• Adults in the Centre are encouraged to role model for children by wearing sunscreen and sun hats when involved in outside activities.
• Parents are requested on enrolment and again in Spring to provide a named sunhat (preferably wide brimmed sunhats, or caps with ‘flaps’ at the side and back) to be left at the Centre.
• The Centre provides sunscreen for all children.  This is applied regularly throughout the day all through the year if required.
• Children with allergies or those requiring specific sunscreen are to apply their cream before arriving and supply the Centre with the appropriate named sunscreen necessary for their child’s needs.
• Sunscreen is applied every 2 hours that the children are outside. A written record (including time) is kept by staff upon application.
• A continuous supply of drinking water is made available at all times throughout the day.
• Children are encouraged to wear suitable clothing to prevent over exposure e.g. covered shoulders.
• Children who refuse to wear a sunhat or have sunscreen applied will be asked to stay indoors.

Staff Physical and Mental Fitness

• All roles at Curious Minds Early Learning involve physical activity and therefore there is a reasonable level of both mental and physical fitness required of all staff.  It is therefore the responsibility of all staff to ensure they remain fit and healthy in order to fully complete their role and responsibilities.
• All staff must follow correct procedures for lifting equipment and/or children to avoid injury to themselves or others.
• All staff must monitor their health to ensure that are fit to work with children in line with the Early Childhood Regulations, 2008.
• The Employer will medically terminate an employee’s employment if the Employee is not able to properly perform their duties on an ongoing basis due to a mental or physical illness/injury or any other incapacity including frequent or repetitive periods of incapacity whether each period of illness or injury is related or unrelated.
• The Employer may terminate the agreement on three weeks’ notice, if because of mental or physical illness/injury or any other incapacity, the Employee is incapable of the proper ongoing performance of the Employee’s duties within a reasonable recovery / convalescence period.  Before taking any action under this clause, the Employer may request that the Employee undergo a medical examination by a registered medical practitioner nominated by the Employer, and the Employer will consider any reports or recommendations made available as a result of that examination and any other relevant medical reports or recommendations which the Employee may provide to the Employer.

Animals in the Centre (when applicable)

• All living creatures at Curious Minds Early Learning will be treated with care and respect.
• Responsibility for the welfare of animals at the Centre rests with the staff as a team. Any decisions about the ongoing care of Centre animals, the addition and removal of any Centre animal, is made as a joint Centre decision.
• Animals kept at Curious Minds Early Learning will be provided with their five basic needs;

          - Freedom from thirst, hunger, and malnutrition (including during weekends and holidays).

          - Freedom from discomfort and lack of shelter (by being provided with appropriate cages or containers that are properly ventilated and hygienic and do not allow             exposure to extremes of noise, draughts, and sunlight).

          - Freedom from injury, disease, and parasite infestation (by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment). Diseased or injured animals will be treated promptly and             will not be kept at the Centre until they have recovered. If this is not feasible, they will be humanely euthanised.

          - Freedom from distress (through proper care and handling).

          - Freedom to display their normal patterns of behaviour.

• Visits by any animal to Curious Minds Early Learning, will be planned and agreed by the Centre Manager. Prior notice will be given to whānau, including information on type of pet, duration of stay, their access to water, shelter, and food.  There will be a secure place available away from children where it can be kept.
• On enrolment to the Centre all whānau will be advised of any Centre animals.  
• Curious Minds Early Learning will ensure that children and adults who handle animals, practice thorough hand washing and/or use hand sanitiser immediately after handling/touching the animal.
• Every Centre animal will have clear instructions and an information sheet of what is required to meet the animals 5 basic needs, based on suggestions outlined in Section 3 of Caring for Animals, 1999.
• Each morning the opening teacher will ensure any Centre animals are provided with their 5 basic needs for the day. This is checked throughout the day by the teachers and again at the end of the day by the teacher responsible for closing the Centre.
• Centre animals will be appropriately housed and always have a way to be restrained if required.  
• Children will also be supervised when interacting with any animal at Curious Minds Early Learning.
• Habitats are cleaned and maintained as required depending on the needs of the animal(s), preferably at least every other day.

LINKS TO OTHER HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Accident Policy

Child Protection Policy

Emergency Procedures Policy

Cleaners Specification of Work

Emergency Management Plan

Excursion Policy

Food and Nutrition Policy

Hazard Register

Illness Policy

Laundry Policy

Medication Policy

Nappy Changing Policy

Outdoor Play, Physical Activity & Risky Play Policy

Right of Entry Policy

Safety Checking Policy

Sleeping Policy

Smoke and Vape Free Policy