A safe environment
Did you know?
Accidental injury is the leading cause of death for children.
Children have the right to be safe wherever they are – at home, at school and at their child care service. Safety in a child care centre starts with the environment. This includes the buildings, the outdoor areas and all the equipment within these areas.
It is the responsibility of all staff and management at a child care centre to provide and maintain a safe environment, and to encourage children to act safely within it. Each child care centre will have its own policies and procedures to help its staff achieve this, as well as following relevant state or territory regulations.
Buildings and grounds
Ideally a child care centre is located in a purpose-built facility, designed specifically to meet the needs of its users and in accordance with the relevant safety regulations. In reality, they are often located in buildings that were originally constructed for a completely different purpose and have been adapted to house their new occupants.
Either way, buildings and grounds have to be safe. To ensure this, daily safety checks should be carried out which check that everything is in good order, hazards are identified and removed, and anything requiring maintenance or repair is dealt with.
Equipment
A huge variety of equipment is used every day in the different areas of a child care centre. This includes things like furniture, appliances, kitchen implements, cleaning supplies and play equipment. The maintenance of all of these items is just as important as building and grounds maintenance and should be checked on a daily basis.
In addition, some items may be safe for one age group to use, but be a hazard for younger children. Furniture, equipment and toys need to be matched to the developmental level of the children. Children may need to be shown how to use some items properly, particularly new equipment.
Access by children to unsafe or unsuitable equipment or areas needs to be prevented to minimise risk of accidents. Cleaning materials must be securely stored. Waste materials have to be disposed of appropriately, according to regulations.
If you think there seems to be lots for adults to learn about health and safety, imagine how it must seem from a child’s perspective! Have a think about how you could help children of different ages play a part in ensuring their own safety.
