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Health & Safety Policy

Bijou nursery believes that health and safety of children and nursery practitioners is a matter of paramount importance. Bijou nursery has developed safe procedures and practices to ensure children's health and safety is maintained, promoted and prevents the spread of infection. Our practitioners are committed to providing a safe, healthy environment where children can learn and develop. Our practitioners will work closely beside parents and carers to ensure all children access facilities safely.

 

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Procedure

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In order for us here at Bijou nursery to ensure the nursery maintains a high standard of health and safety the creche has developed the following procedures:

 


These policies and procedures can be found in detail in our office, please ask for more information.

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Our practitioners ensure all children are always supervised , this includes children sleeping in beds and on mats within quiet areas. Children in cots will be checked every ten minutes. However a practitioner must be aware of the child's whereabouts and remain in the main playroom at all times in readiness to assist the child if necessary.


The manager or supervisor on duty must ensure staff to child ratios and required space per child is always maintained when grouping children. It is essential that there are always two practitioners present when children are on our premises.


In the event of an outing, the correct staff to child ratio will be maintained and a risk assessment must be carried out prior to the outing. Our staff understand they must take parent/carer contact details along with a first aid kit and business mobile phone. We will seek permission from parents to take children on outings as we believe that outdoor learning is very important within the child's foundations of learning. Our management team have DBS checks, however, if and when we employ additional staff these will also have a DBS check.


On occasion we will have volunteers and students entering the nursery to further develop their studies, therefore, both volunteers and students must sign in and wear a visitor badge. Students will be asked to complete a "student placement form" which provides our nursery with contact details of their college/university. Students must document the date and hours they attend nursery. We would like to inform parents and carers that all visitors (volunteers and students) are accompanied by a nursery practitioner, children will not be left unsupervised with either of the above if they have not been cleared of all relevant checks by the Nursery Manager.

 

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Health and safety: Risk Assessment


Our practitioners identify and manage risks to children and adults through carrying out risk assessments. A risk is a likelihood of a hazard occurring and the hazard is anything that could cause harm to others. All activities will be considered, significant risks are identified, measures are put in place to control or eliminate risks. Other risks that are identified must be controlled appropriately.


For example a child is standing on a stool is a risk and must be controlled; however this would not necessarily be recorded.


All risks are dealt with promptly by the manager or person in charge. Risk assessments are required to be "suitable and sufficient", therefore all risk assessments are carried out in accordance with the nursery guidance which can be found within our office. Our main nursery room will be checked for hazards at the very start of every day, in accordance to the room's risk assessment. If there is a change within our room then we will review our risk assessments. This will determine the severity of the risk and on appropriate cause of action to control or eliminate the hazard.


Our garden area is checked for hazards before children go out for outdoor play also. The check is carried out in accordance with the nursery outdoor play risk assessment. We understand that a risk assessment must be carried out prior to practitioners taking children on outings.

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Health and safety: Accidents


The nursery maintains an accident book that must be completed in the event that a child sustains an injury at nursery. Details of the nature of the injury, the treatment that was given, when and where the accident happened and this will be recorded, signed and dated and kept in child’s file. Parents are therefore given a copy of the mentioned details.

 

 

At home accident:


In the event that a child sustains an accident at home, parents are asked to inform the nursery and complete an accident at home form. The same details will be asked as an accident happening within nursery. This is to assist the nursery to ensure all injuries are accounted for.


In the event that a member of staff or parent sustains an injury at nursery, an accident/dangerous occurrences form must be completed and returned the office.

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Our nursery ensures that the first aid equipment is kept clean, in date and always replenished. Sterile items are kept in sealed packages until needed.


It is essential that staff clean up bodily fluids such as urine, faeces, blood, vomit and eye discharge immediately, wearing disposable gloves and an apron. The area should be cleaned with detergent first and followed by Milton.
In the event a child bites another child or adult and this draws blood, both parties should seek medical attention. An incident report form for both parties and should be completed to reflect this and signed by parent and staff member.
Bijou nursery understands that the manager must inform CIW of any serious incident or injury that a child sustains at nursery (includes; broken bones, cuts or bumps, dislocations that require medical attention).
 

 

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Health and safety: Food


Here at Bijou nursery, we ensure that the food we serve to children has been stored, prepared and served safely. Our nursery practitioners attend training in Level 2 Food Health and Hygiene and they follow the correct hand washing and food handling procedures. 


In the event of a nursery practitioner suffering from food poisoning, occupational health must be informed to determine the period of time that the person cannot handle food.


 

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Health and safety: Allergies


In the event that a child suffers from an allergy, the nursery will refer to it's medication policy in order to develop a health care plan for the child and make arrangements for any necessary training. All allergies will be clearly stated in the kitchen and all staff informed in the child’s all about me form and of any allergies to prevent any symptoms.
 

 

 

Health and safety: Fire Safety


Please refer to Fire Safety and Evacuation Policy 


Our nursery practitioners will ensure all children evacuate the building safely and promptly by following the nursery's fire evacuation policy. The nursery practices this evacuation process every four to six weeks.

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Health and safety: Manual handling

 


Here at Bijou nursery, it is possible to eliminate manual handling altogether, correct handling techniques must be followed to minimise the risk of injury. We understand that a variety of injuries may result from poor manual handling and staff must be aware and adhere to the nursery's manual handling policy.


Where manual handling risks cannot be avoided, these must be accessed as part of the risk assessment that is carried out, therefore, this involves examining the task and deciding what the risk associated with them are, and how these can be removed or reduced by adding control measures.

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