Creating Safe Environments

1
Creating Safe Environments

• Things to Consider
• The Type of Environment
• The Age of the Children
• The Surrounding Community
• Family Environment

2
The Type of Environment

• Child Care Centers
• Single-Use facilities
• Sole purpose to provide a safe environment
• May be shared spaces (i.e. corporate child care,
  university preschool rooms)
• Family Child Care Homes
• In-Home Child Care

3
The Age of Children in Care

• Infants
• - At first, not mobile. Greatest risk is SIDS
• - As motor development increases, so do risks
• Toddlers
• - Most at risk for dangerous situations
• - Exploring environments, but dont have
  cognitive abilities to understand cause and
  effect
• Preschoolers
• - May not perceive risk when it is present
• School-Aged
• - Most injuries relate to sports activities
• Multi-Age Groups
• - Modify to fit the youngest childs
  developmental abilities

4

• The Community Surrounding Child Care
• A holistic approach considers the community as
  well
• Be aware of liabilities surrounding the premises
• - violence
• - traffic
• - animals
• The Childs Family Environment
• If the child is safe to explore at home, will
  also explore at the child care environment
• In some families, safety is not addressed. Those
  children will need help understanding why it is
  important.
• Child custody is often an issue from home that
  must be addressed by the child care provider

5
Injury Prevention Management

• . ABCs of Childhood Injuries
• Accessory Helps explain how the injury happened
  (ex- physical and environmental hazards)
• Behavior Helps to explain why an injury
  occurred.
• This section is MOST responsible for the injury!
• Teachers MUST be knowledgeable of childrens
  developmental levels (Piagets stages) to help
  prevent injuries
• Condition Indicates the circumstances
  surrounding the injury (ex-types of injuries,
  time, etc.)
• View Table 1-4 on page 45 for a further look!

6
Constructing a Safety Plan for Child Care

• Anticipation
• Childrens behavior
• Conditions that contribute to injury
• Suggestions checklists, room-by-room inspection
• Modifications
• Teach exhibit protective and preventative
  practices
• Teaching tools to promote behavior change
• Feedback
• Modeling
• Role Playing
• Monitoring This is an ongoing process!
• Observe whether negative practices have changed
• Keep track of injury statistics (should decrease!)

7
Implications for Caregivers

• Role Modeling
• Children imitate adults
• View Table 1-6 on page 53
• Education
• Safety education for children, parents, and staff
• Observations
• Regular, scheduled observations
• Checklists
• Supervision
• Constant
• Plenty- Your safest ratios may be less than
  states guidelines! Consider individual
  behaviors here

8
VIDEO

• This might be one way to educate your parents and
  staff. You also may be able to find
  child-friendly videos on safe behaviors at your
  local public library.

9
Indoor Safety PoliciesIndoor Risks
Includehighlighted text are the most common
accidents in children

• Choking
• Interpersonal violence
• Poisoning
• Burns
• Lead Poisoning
• Falls

• Childs behavior based on developmental levels
• Physical Levels
• Emotional Health
• Drowning

10
Indoor Risk Management Process

• Indoor Child Care Environments
• Indoor safety practices and applications as they
  apply to a specific child care environment.
• Indoor Equipment Safety
• Practices for preventing and managing indoor
  equipment.
• Toy Safety
• Selecting toys, removing unsafe toys and
  preventing injuries as a result of toys.

11
Indoor Risk Management Process Cont.

• Interpersonal Safety
• Interpersonal safety and conflict management for
  children
• Poison Control
• Prevention and protection for children.
• Fire and Burn Prevention
• Implications for Caregivers
• Methods for conducting education, supervision,
  observation and outside resources for caregivers.

12
Environmental Hazards

• Ventilation
• Children inhale 2-3 times more air than adults
• Pet or Animals
• Should be friendly and healthy.
• Children should always wash their hands
  afterwards.
• No turtles, parrots, or lizards that are handled
  by children because of diseases.
• Cleaning and Other Supplies
• Kept where children cannot reach them.
• Marked with poison sign (if able, children should
  be taught this sign).
• Safety Devices
• Wall sockets should be covered.
• Reachable drawers and cabinets should be latched
  shut.
• Safety gates on stairways.

13
Developmental Levels

• Infants
• Particularly at risk for choking on small
  objects.
• Toddlers
• They can come up with new ways of solving
  problems, but cant understand cause and effect.
• Always watch them and anticipate hazards!
• Preschoolers
• At risk for indoor falls.
• Can help you monitor for indoor hazards.

14
Space

• Should be able to move equipment around without
  competing for space with other children.
• 50 sq. ft. of space for child when furnishings
  are included.
• Adequate floor space is a must.

• Should have space to separate play areas.
• Barriers that separate space should also allow
  adults to see children at all times.
• Space should be arranged according to interest
  areas.

15
Indoor Equipment SafetyEquipment used in child
care shall be sturdy and free of sharp points or
corners, splinters, protruding nails or bolts,
loose rusty parts, hazardous small parts, or
paint that contains lead. (APHA and AAP, 2002)

• Preventing Falls
• Falls are one of the most common injuries related
  to indoor equipment.
• A childs changing abilities to move about and
  manipulate the environment are major contributors
  to causing safety risks for children.
• Infants changing tables can be the cause of an
  infants fall if theyre left unattended, even
  with a safety strap. Walkers are tested but cause
  more injuries than any other infant equipment.
  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends
  against their use.
• Toddlers discouraging climbing on furniture and
  other equipment helps prevent risk. Also using
  safety devices like window guards can help.
• Preschoolers are coordinated enough and fast
  enough to do almost any physical activity. Use
  only safe, sturdy equipment that is in good
  repair.

16
Indoor Water Safety

• Water safety is a consideration in the use of
  indoor equipment. Drowning can occur in a
  relatively small amount of water (i.e. a bucket
  of water left out)
• Toilets, tubs, and sinks pose a risk. Keep the
  toilet lid down or the area should have a door
  that shuts.
• Hot water faucets also pose a risk. They can
  cause burns by scalding. Never leave the child
  unattended around hot water faucets.
• Toilets and water tables may also carry germs
  that put children at risk. Children should be
  taught to wash their hands after using the toilet
  or playing at the water table.

17
Toy Safety

• Choking and suffocation are major hazards to
  young children who still mouth things like toys,
  food, and small objects.
• Ensuring that small toys and other objects are
  too large for mouthing is important ( see table
  2-5)
• Age appropriateness is one of the most important
  tools for removing hazardous toys.
• Some art supplies can be hazardous like if the
  child inhales lead or another dangerous substance
  and mouthing the various materials used for art.
• Children should be instructed in how to use these
  items properly.

18
Interpersonal Safety

• Injuries to children by other children like
  biting, kicking, scratching, and fighting are
  common.
• Caregivers need to know strategies for
  eliminating that behavior and utilizing conflict
  resolution.
• Of all the common injuries by other children,
  biting is the most upsetting. Why might children
  bite? (see table 2-9 for more info)
• When children are angry, tired, or upset they may
  resort to behaviors that reflect their exposure
  to the violence in our society.
• Research has shown that children who have
  witnessed or been direct victims of violence can
  suffer from Posttraumatic Stress disorder. This
  can be displayed by reliving violence in play.
  Children who do this may need special help.

19
Strategies to Promote Positive Interaction

• Caregiver awareness of unsafe behaviors is the
  primary tool for safety promotion and prevention
  of injury in interpersonal relations among the
  children.
• Children learn best when appropriate behavior is
  modeled for them.
• For strategies to promote positive interpersonal
  safety see table 2-10

20
2.6 Poison Control

• The majority poisoning accidents happen in the
  home, but childcare providers still need to be
  especially careful of hazardous products.
• The primary means of controlling poisoning
  accidents is through prevention.

21
Ways to Prevent Poisoning Accidents

• Removal of hazardous products.
• Proper storage of necessary hazardous products.
• Proper supervision of students at ALL times.
• Minimum use of poisonous materials.

22
Poisoning Can Occur in 5 Ways

• Ingestion
• Contact
• Inhalation
• Animal, insect, reptile bite
• Injection

23
2.7 Fire and Burn Prevention

• Fire is dangerous for children b/c they are
  naturally curious not aware of the danger
• Strategies for prevention
• Educate children about accidents caused by fire
  (include fire safety, discuss matches lighters,
  and stop, drop and roll).
• Store all fire materials out of childrens reach.
• Model appropriate behaviors if using fire.

24
Implications

• Be observant and supervise children at ALL times.
• Educate yourself, staff, students AND parents to
  ensure safety.
• Inspect each environment kids are exposed to and
  consider the developmental level of each child
  and the effect that has on the precautions taken.
  

25
Safety Policies Why do we need them?

• Children are natural risk takers who attempt
  actions for which they may lack the skills
  (p.29)
• Developmental factors limit childrens cognitive,
  physical and emotional abilities, thus making
  them more vulnerable to injury.
• Policies help caregivers manage risk, provide
  protection and promote safety.

26
Designing a Safety Policy

• Policies should be developed and directed toward
  the children and staff.
• Questions to Ask
• What needs to be done?
• - Get ideas from local and state regulations and
  mandates
• - i.e. child abuse policies
• What process will be followed?
• - When and where and action should be performed
• - View environment through eyes of a child to
  find safety hazards and create checklists that
  will offer maximum protection

27

• Who is responsible for making sure the process of
  followed?
• - Depends on the setting
• - You must clearly define who is responsible so
  that the policy does not go un-enforced.
• Are there any time perimeters or limitations?
• - Should be clearly written and include
  guidelines, limitations and suggested methods of
  communication to be used.
• Safety Policies should incorporate the four major
  goals of high-quality child care
• Maximizing Health Status
• Minimizing Risk
• Using Education as a tool
• Recognizing the importance of guidelines (pg. 31)