Health and safety isn’t just a concern in workplaces around Australia, it’s something that should be focused on everywhere for people of all ages. This includes schools, childcare centres, local parks and playgrounds and in the home. Health and safety in early childhood are vitally important if kids are going to navigate those formative, early years without accidents, sustaining injuries or becoming unwell. The healthier and more injury-free young children are, the better chance they’ll have of maturing into fit and healthy adults down the track.
Let’s take a look at some health and safety measures you can implement around the home, as well as what to look for in a childcare centre regarding health and safety. Total Pipeline Systems is also the best option that help to ovecome from pipe leakage.
Health and Safety In the Family Home
Ensuring your kids are safe and remain healthy within the home environment is perhaps even more important than health and safety concerns elsewhere when it comes to children. After all, kids ranging in age from babies to preschoolers often spend the majority of their time at home.
What steps you implement in the home will depend on the age of a child or children. For example, if you have stairs and very small children, you will want to install a gate at the top and bottom of the staircase so babies and toddlers can’t access the stairs. This isn’t really necessary for preschoolers.
Another common sense practice is to ensure the handles of pots and pans on the stove top can’t be reached by little kids. Many accidents involving serious burns have occurred when children grab hold of a pot handle and spill boiling water or hot food all over themselves. Make sure handles are turned away from the edge of the bench top so they can’t be grabbed from below.
Some other quick tips and ideas include:
- Fences surrounding the entire yard with childproof latches on gates
- Keep furniture away from open windows
- Have a first aid kit in the house
- Stick emergency phone numbers to the fridge
- Store cleaning products and anything toxic in a locked cabinet or up high and out of reach
- Have smoke alarms installed in every room
- Avoid having glass furniture such as coffee tables and side tables
- Keep children away from floors that are slippery when wet
- Sharp objects in the kitchen should be kept out of reach
- Keep the home, and especially the floors, clean and germ-free as much as possible
Health and Safety In a Childcare Centre
Health and safety in childcare centres are equally as important as health and safety measures around the family home. If your child is enrolled in an early learning facility or you’re planning to enrol your child in a daycare centre, you’ll want to know that the centre has done everything it can to ensure a healthy and safe environment for the children that attend.
Childcare centres are taking on a huge responsibility when they look after the children of parents and parents are placing their trust in the centre and its staff members. Let’s take a look at some things childcare centres should be offering to ensure the health and safety of the children.
- Do members of staff have first aid training?
- Is there a comprehensive first aid kit available at the centre?
- Does the centre have smoke alarms and fire extinguishers?
- Can children easily exit the building in case of an emergency and is there an evacuation procedure mapped out?
- Is the majority of the furniture in the centre either soft and padded or free of sharp edges?
- What about outdoor areas – Are there any obvious hazards that could cause an accident and injury?
- Are the premises clean, hygienic and well-maintained?
- Does the centre have a policy that children must be immunised against certain diseases?
- Are there measures in place should a child fall ill or get injured while at the centre?
- Do you deem any of the proposed activities at the centre as being potentially dangerous?
- Does the centre undergo regular health and safety checks?
In Conclusion
Health and safety measures for children are just as important as they are for any age. Guarantee your child remains safe and healthy in the family home and at their childcare centre by ensuring health and safety protocols are in place.
