Health and Safety

1
Health and Safety

• Child Care Centers and Family Day Care Homes

2
Program Issues

• Environmental Health
• Food Safety
• Environmental Safety

3
Environmental Safety
4
Guidelines Regulating Childcare and Family Day
Care Settings

• North Carolina has three different documents
  regulating health and safety in child care
• General Statutes Child Care Facilities
• Child Care Rules
• Sanitation of Child Care Centers
• http//nrc.uchsc.edu/STATES/NC/northcarolina.htm

5
Environmental Safety

• Create child centered environment

6
Kitchen Safety
7
General Kitchen Safety

• Establish kitchen safety rules
• Establish safety rules for appliances and
  equipment
• Teach dangers and not tos

8
General Kitchen Safety (continued)

• Teach children dangers
• Appliances
• Cords
• Knives

9
General Kitchen Safety (continued)

• Children should not
• Sit on countertops
• Crawl around unrestricted
• Run or play in food preparation area
• Be unsupervised in the kitchen space

10
General Kitchen Safety (continued)

• Use only rubber-backed or non-skid rugs
• Mop only when children are away from center or in
  another room

11
Utensil and Equipment Practices

• Turn pot handles toward back of stove and counter
• Use back burners on stove top whenever possible
• Turn burners off immediately after use

12
Utensil and Equipment Practices (continued)

• Use stove knob covers on controls reachable by
  children
• Keep hot foods and beverages pushed back from
  edge of countertops and tables
• Use safety latches on appliances such as
  refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave

13
Utensil and Equipment Practices (continued)

• Use non-breakable dishes and eating utensils
• Teach older children knife safety

14
Utensil and Equipment Practices (continued)

• Keep dishwasher closed when not in use
• Keep children away from dishwasher when emptying
• Use cord shorteners on appliance and phone cords.
• Tall refrigerators and stoves should be secured
  to eliminate possibility of tipping

15
Meal Time
16
Eating Practices

• Teach and expect children to sit during meal time
• Keep highchairs away from stove and work counters
• Stay with children during mealtime

17
Eating Practices (continued)

• Buckle children in highchairs with highchair
  restraint
• Securely latch highchair tray
• Take precautions not to pinch hands and fingers
  in highchair

18
Play and Nap Time Areas
19
Play and Nap Time Areas

• Keep all areas clean, orderly and free of
  potential hazards

20
ACTIVITY General Safety

• Upon completion of this activity, you will be
  able to identify the kinds of hazards that young
  children face in their environment each day.

21
General Safety Activity

• View each room from a childs vantage point
• Get down on the floor and look around the room

22
General Safety Activity

• What looks interesting under the furnishings?
• What are at the various eye levels of the
  children under your care?
• What can items might look attractive to the
  children?

23
Leading causes of death

• Falls
• Poisoning
• Fires and Burns
• Choking
• Drowning

24
Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls
25
Slips, Trips and Falls

• Keep floors free of things that can be tripped
  over or slipped on
• Keep stairs in good shape
• Eliminate throw rugs

26
Slips, Trips and Falls

• Make certain you can see where you are going when
  carrying big loads
• Keep the area well lighted

27
Poison Prevention
28
Poison Proof Your Facility

• Potential dangers exist in all rooms
• Look through your facility for poisonous products

29
Why are Children at Risk?

• Crawl and play on floors and lawns
• Put things in their mouths
• From foods
• Accidental poisoning

30

Remember childrens bodies are small

• A little bit of some chemicals
• can cause big problems

31
What products are dangerous for children?

• Batteries
• Pesticides
• Automotive products
• Cleaners
• Paints and solvents

32
Other Dangerous Products You May Not Think of
Include

• Medicine
• Mouthwash
• Makeup
• First Aid Supplies
• Deodorant
• Perfumes

• Furniture Polish
• Liquor
• Plants
• Bleach
• Cigarettes

33
Household products are hazardous if..

• they can cause harm when not used properly

34
How Are Products Harmful?

• Toxic/poisonous (cause headaches, dizziness,
  nausea, injury, death)
• Corrosive (burn skin and eyes)
• Flammable (can be set on fire)

35
Protecting Children from Hazardous Products How
Tos . . .

• Use hazardous products safely
• Store hazardous products carefully
• Dispose of hazardous products properly

36
Use Safely

• Read the label
• Look for the signal words (caution, warning,
  flammable, harmful, danger, poison)
• Follow directions and special instructions

37
Use Safely

• Whenever possible, use products when children are
  away
• Put away after use
• No eating or smoking when using hazardous
  products
• Never mix products

38
Store Safely

• Store in original container
• Close tightly after use
• Store 150 ft from well or water pump
• Keep away from heat, sparks, or fire
• Store in locked or secure place out of reach of
  children

39
Dispose of Safely

• Dispose of hazardous products according to label
  directions
• Dispose of hazardous product containers in a way
  such that children cant get to them

40
Dispose of safely continued

• Give away
• Take to community hazardous waste collection
  point
• Never dump or burn
• Recycle

41

• Keep this number near the phone
• Carolinas Poison Center
• 1-800-222-1222

42
Hazard Hound can Help You Keep Children Safe
43
Teach Children . . .

• Not to touch products with Paws Off stickers

44
Label all potentially dangerous products with the
Paws Off Stickers
45
Reducing Childrens Risk How Tos

• Strategies for eliminating pests
• Strategies for reducing exposure to hazardous
  products

46
Pest Control Strategies
47
Why Do You Have Pests?

• Broken, loose or torn screens
• Gaps or holes in home
• Dirty floors, counters and dishes
• Spilled foods

• Storing garbage where pests can reach
• Roof or plumbing leaks
• Storing food in containers without lids

48
Keeping Pests Out

• Seal cracks and crevices where pests can enter
  the home.
• Check things like bags and boxes for roaches
  before bringing them into the house.
• Teach your children not to share combs, hats, or
  coats at school or daycare.

49
Fire and Burns
50
Fires

• Have a working electrical smoke detector with a
  battery back-up
• Have a readily accessible full charged
• fire extinguisher
• Store matches and lighters away from children
• Discuss fire safety with the children
• Have an exit plan in case of fire

51
BurnsIt only takes 2 seconds for 140o

• Install a scald guard or temperature limiter
  device to help prevent burns
• Set hot water heater at a maximum of 120o
• Practice kitchen safety rules that help prevent
  burns

52
Fire Safety and Burn Prevention

• Use a protective screening with supports for any
  approved fuel burning heater, fireplace or floor
  furnace
• Cover or insulate hot pipes or radiators

53
Fire Safety and Burn Prevention

• Use only vented fuel burning heaters
• Use a carbon monoxide detector if you have a gas
  furnace or a fuel burning appliance

54
Choking and Suffocation
55
Choking and Suffocation

• Keep an eye on young children while eating and
  playing
• Pick toys that are appropriate for the age of the
  child
• Never tie toys to a playpen as a child can
  strangle if caught on them
• Keep cribs and play pens away from windows
  covering pull cords

56
Choking and Suffocation

• Dont let children play with balloons
• Dont let children play near cars or old
  appliances
• Keep plastic bags and covers away from children

57
Drowning
58
Drowning

• If you have a pool
• Fence the pool area
• Dont leave toys in the pool
• Have children walk, not run, in pool area
• Watch children at all times

59
Drowning
Children can drown in only a couple of inches of
water!

• Watch children around all water sources hot
  tubs, wading pools, creeks, ponds, streams,
  backyard pools
• Empty wading pools when not in use
• Never leave children alone in bathtub

60
Other Safety Concerns
61
Equipment and Furnishings

• Appliances, cabinets and shelves should be
  attached to the wall or braced by being anchored
  together.
• Blocks and heavy objects should be stored on
  lowest shelves
• TV sets, fish bowls and other similar items
  should be restrained so they wont slide off

62
Electrical Safety

• Use safety plugs on all unused electrical outlets
  that arent located behind furniture or
  appliances
• Make certain all electrical cords are in good
  condition and free of frays or cracks

63
Bathroom Safety Practices

• Keep all medications in containers with
  child-resistant closures and in a locked location
  away from childrens reach
• Do not allow children to play in or near toilet

64
Equipment and Furnishings

• Pictures and other wall hangings should be
  attached to wall with wire and closed screw-eyes
• Electrical fans should be out of reach of
  children and fitted with mesh guard to protect
  small fingers

65
Other Safety Concerns

• Adults and older children should learn CPR
• Children should wear safety gear helmets,
  kneepads, etc.

66
Prepared by

• Sarah D. Kirby , Ph.D.,
• Housing Specialist, NCSU