Risk Assessment - Health & Safety Procedures

Risk assessment means: Taking note of aspects of your workplace and activities that that could cause harm, either to yourself or to others, and deciding what needs to be done to prevent that harm, making sure this is adhered to and is updated when necessary. The law does not require that all risk be eliminated, but that ‘reasonable precaution’ is taken. This is particularly important when balancing the need for children to be able to take appropriate risks through physically challenging play. Children need the opportunity to work out what is not safe and what they should do when faced with a risk. Risk assessments are carried out to ensure the safety of children, staff, parents and visitors. Legislation requires all individuals in the workplace to be responsible for the health and safety of premises, equipment and working practices. We have a ‘corporate responsibility’ towards a ‘duty of care’ for those who work in and receive a service from our provision. Individuals also have responsibility for ensuring their own and others safety. Health and safety risk assessments inform procedures. Staff and, parents where appropriate, should be involved in reviewing risk assessments and procedures, as they are the ones with first-hand knowledge as to whether the control measures are effective and they can give an informed view to help update procedures accordingly. Risk Assessment Procedure The setting manager will carry out a comprehensive annual risk assessment of the building, areas used by staff and children and visitors including outside and key working practices. This will be shared with the directors. Additional risk assessments will be carried out as necessary should a situation arise that requires more in-depth focus and any new activities will also be risk assessed in advance. Staff carry out a twice daily risk assessment or ‘safety sweep’ before opening and at registration after lunch. This is recorded in our register. The following areas and key procedures will also be risk assessed annually and as necessary : Premises Areas Main hall and little room 56 WHYTEBEAMS NURSERY Entrance and exits and the foyer Outdoor areas. Passageways, steps and connecting areas. Kitchen Key working practices arrivals and departures changing nappies, and the intimate care of young children and older children preparation of snack children with allergies and special dietary needs or preferences cooking activities with children supervising outdoor play and indoor/outdoor climbing equipment supervising young children whilst asleep assessment, use and storage of equipment for disabled children visitors to the setting who are bringing equipment or animals as part of children’s learning experiences, for example ‘fire engines’ following any incidents involving threats against staff or volunteers following any accident or incident involving staff or children Manual Handling Policy Manual handling at Whytebeams covers a wide range of activities such as lifting, carrying, pulling/pushing, lowering and moving equipment and sometimes lifting or carrying children. It is the manager’s responsibility to provide basic manual handling training and advice as part of a staff induction. This will include advice on lifting children safely. Refreshers should be provided annually on September inset day. A copy of our manual handling and lifting guidance (below) will be given to staff and an additional copy will be kept in the risk assessment file in the kitchen. Regular risk assessments will take place. These will consider manual handling techniques and will assess and manage both current and future risks. So far as practically possible manual handling should be kept to a minimum. Staff Will All staff comply with risk assessment and have a personal responsibility to ensure they do not lift objects likely to cause injury. Failure to do so may invalidate an insurance claim. Members of staff bring the setting manager’s attention to any new risk, or situations where the control measures are not working. Risk assessments may need to be changed for some individuals, such as a pregnant woman, or staff with an existing or previous injury or impairment that may affect their capacity to lift. Risk assessment is carried out of the environment in which the lifting is done. Features such as uneven floor surfaces, stairs, etc. add to the general risk and need to be taken into consideration. 57 WHYTEBEAMS NURSERY The setting manager ensures that they and their staff are trained to lift and move heavy objects and unstable loads correctly. Young children are also heavy and need to be lifted and carried carefully and correctly. Guidelines: Do not lift heavy objects alone. Seek help from a colleague. Bend from the knees rather than the back. Do not lift very heavy objects. even with others. that are beyond your strength. Use trolleys for heavy items that must be carried or moved on a regular basis. Items should not be lifted onto, or from, storage areas above head height. Do not stand on objects, other than proper height steps, to reach high objects and never try to over reach. Push rather than pull heavy objects. Do not carry heavy objects up or down stairs; or carry large objects that may block your view of the stairs. Do not hold babies by standing and resting them on your hips. Please note this is not an exhaustive list. Managers are responsible for carrying out risk assessments for manual handling operations, which includes lifting/carrying children and lifting/carrying furniture or equipment. TOILET HYGIENE Toilets will be checked and cleaned after every use and twice daily as part of a risk assessment. Staff will ensure toilets are properly equipped with toilet roll, hand wash, wipes and hand towels to enable older children to manage their own toileting. Potties will be emptied immediately after use and cleaned with antibacterial spray. Changing mats will be cleaned as soon as possible after each use with antibacterial spray. Staff will wear gloves when changing nappies or wet or soiled clothes to prevent cross infection and maintain good practice in regard to contact with body fluids.