CHCCN301A: Ensure the health and
safety of children
Provide a safe environment
Contents
Overview
3
Implement sun protection procedures
4
Dehydration
4
Ensure tools, equipment, toys and games are appropriate to the
age of the child
5
Select, check and maintain equipment to ensure safety
9
Nursery and baby equipment
9
Outside play equipment
10
Set up the environment to ensure safety
13
Check area for hazards and implement risk reduction strategies
14
Fire safety precautions
15
Fire and emergency evacuation policy
16
Ensure disposal of waste materials occurs in a safe and hygienic
way
2
17
Disposal of waste materials
17
Exposure to biological hazards
18
Ensure cleaning materials are stored safely
19
Implement infection control procedures where required
20
Ensure adequate food and drinks are served appropriate to age
and developmental status
21
Summary
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Additional resources
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Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
Overview
This topic, ‘Provide a safe environment,’ will provide you with the knowledge to
ensure that the environment that the children occupy is safe. Your role in
assessing risks and hazards and assisting in minimising these will be explored.
You have many responsibilities as a carer to identify, assess and control risks and
hazards presented in the child care environment.
A hazard is anything that could cause harm to yourself and others; a risk is the
possibility that a hazard could cause harm, injury or ill health to yourself or others.
Your duty of care will see you taking steps to minimise hazards and risks in the
environment and to actively and consistently work towards providing a safe
environment for children and adults in the service.
Involving families in the risk identification process will be invaluable as they too
are concerned with their children’s safety in the home and will often ‘see’ hazards
that we might have missed.
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
3
Implement sun protection procedures
Extensive advertising and public information has made most Australians aware of
the hazards of the sun. Sun causes irreversible skin damage leading to
prematurely aged skin, skin cancers and eye damage. For sun safety all children
must:
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Wear wide brim hats when outside at all times.
Have shirtsleeves as long as possible (necks and shoulders and faces must
be in shade).
Apply sunscreen (factor 30+) before going outside, summer and winter.
Sunscreen should be reapplied every 2 hours or if the child becomes wet,
for example, during water play.
Be inside during times of maximum sun, which is between 10am and 2pm
(Eastern standard time) or 11 am and 3 pm (Daylight saving time).
When outside be in maximum shade, even in winter.
Babies under twelve months should spend very little time in direct sunlight and
you should check that the sunscreen you use for babies will not irritate their skin.
Sun-smart child with a hat with a brim and neck protection
Activity 1
Dehydration
The other danger for children playing outside, particularly in the hot Australian
summer, is dehydration. On hot days children should be given water frequently.
Throughout the day, water should be freely available regardless of the weather.
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Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
It is also appropriate to have water play and sprinkler play on those hot days.
Do be mindful, however, of local water restrictions and Council water usage
recommendations here—especially in drought-declared areas!
Remember to reapply the sunscreen after children are dried off with towels as
this can wipe away their protection.
Water play presents a danger to all ages—effective supervision is vital at all times
to ensure children’s safety.
Do be mindful, however, of local water restrictions and Council water usage
recommendations here—especially in drought-declared areas!
Ensure tools, equipment, toys and
games are appropriate to the age of
the child
Appropriate toys and games
Toys and games also need to be checked regularly and carefully. Like equipment
and furnishing, if safe and appropriate toys are purchased for a service, the
likelihood of hazards from these is substantially reduced. Try to ensure that the
toys either conform to the European Safety Standard, CE, or the Australian Safety
Standard, AS 1647. These toys will have met certain health and safety
requirements and can be used with minimal danger.
The labels on toys will often give a suitable age range. The age suitability is not
related to the intellect level but the safety aspects of that toy. Inappropriate toys
such as those with tiny parts or ones that are easily broken should be removed
from reach of small children. Toys should be sorted and stored according to age
suitability.
Appropriate toys for the right age
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
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Safe toys
Below are some key points to ask yourself in regard to toy safety. You probably
have more to add.
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Can the toy choke the child? Children under three years of age tend to put
things in their mouths. Choking is a common cause of toy-related deaths.
Do not give small children (infants and toddlers) small toys, balls or toy
parts that they can choke on. A good rule of thumb regarding toy size is
that if the toy is small enough o fit into a film canister, then it is too small
for an infant to use. Do not give small children latex balloons; when they
burst, the small bits can completely block children’s airways. Rattles,
squeeze toys and teethers should be large enough so that they cannot
enter and become lodged in baby’s throat. Remember that a toy suitable
for an older child may be unsafe for a younger child.
Can the toy strangle the child? Toys with long or stretchy cords can wrap
around a child’s neck. Check the ends of pull toys. Cords should not be
longer then 12 inches. Keep mobiles out of the reach of children in cots.
Remove mobiles completely before the child is five months old or can
push up on hands and knees. Keep cords short or out of children’s reach.
Is it noisy? Loud toys can damage a child’s sensitive hearing. If you find the
toy loud, it is definitely too loud for a child.
Can the toy cut the child: Sharp edges or points on a toy can cut a child.
Make sure that you check toys regularly for signs of wear and tear.
Can the plastic packaging suffocate the child? Plastic bags and plastic
wrap, foam, tape or ties can suffocate or choke a child. Throw out plastic
wrappings on toys as soon as possible as children might play with them.
Can the toy tip or roll out of control? Tricycles and other ride-on toys can
tip or roll. Children on ride-on toys can move very quickly, running into
objects or falling down stairs. Make sure children on ride-on toys are well
protected if they fall (eg, children riding bicycles need helmets and those
on skateboards and scooters need a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads).
Does the toy contain poisons? Play cosmetics and art supplies (eg,
crayons, coloured pencils and play dough) may contain toxic chemicals.
Read labels carefully to see if there’s a non-toxic label. Make your own
playdough and paint, using non-toxic ingredients.
Can the toy hit someone? Darts, arrows, planes and other such flying toys
can be dangerous. They can hit someone in the eye. Don’t let children
play with darts and arrows unless the toys have securely fastened soft
cork tips or rubber suction cups—and the children are older than eight
years and play is well supervised.
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
Safe and challenging toys
Toys should be challenging, fun and safe. There are a number of points to
remember when thinking about children’s toys. Some toys, equipment or
activities present greater risks and, therefore, special precautions or more
effective supervision may be in order. Some toys are just not suitable for some
childcare services. Remember that:
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Babies should not have large fluffy toys in their cots.
Swords and any plastic toys of similar shape may be used as a weapon
against other children.
Balloons are a choking hazard.
Batteries used in battery operated toys are both poisonous and a choking
hazard.
Riding toys are associated with a number of hazards such as collisions or
falling. Ensure that appropriate safety mechanisms and procedures are in
place.
Swings are falling, pinching and hitting hazards. As discussed earlier in the
topic, some services will choose not to provide swings.
Water play can be a drowning hazard and a hygiene hazard. Supervise
water play at all times. Never leave any child unattended at water play.
Use clean water and change as necessary.
Toys can also be challenging
Activity 2a
Activity 2b
Activity 2c
Activity 2d
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
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Toys and play equipment to avoid
Some toys to avoid in children’s services are:
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beanbags and other items filled with polystyrene beans (swallowing of,
and inhalation of, the polystyrene beans has been associated with choking
and suffocation)
projectile toys such as darts (not suitable for children under 8 years)
toy chests, because children may get inside and close the lid (children love
to hide in small, enclosed spaces!)
trampolines, which have been associated with horrific injuries in young
children.
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
Select, check and maintain equipment
to ensure safety
If both the inside and outside equipment and furnishing that is purchased meets
Australian Safety standards then the likelihood of incidents and accidents arising
is reduced. The NSW Department of Fair Trading has published guidelines on safe
toys, equipment and furnishing on both a web site and as a pamphlet and it is
recommended that you read this information (See Additional Resources for
details). All equipment used by children in a service including cots, basinets,
prams, strollers, high chairs, etc. must meet the appropriate Australian and New
Zealand Standards (AS/NZS). When purchasing equipment, it must be labelled
with the distinctive red and white AS/NZS tag and include manufacturer’s
instructions for use, care and maintenance.
Nursery and baby equipment
All equipment must be used as per manufacturer’s instructions. Storage, use and
weight limits must be followed. There is some nursery and baby equipment that
has been associated with injuries to children when not used correctly. These
include:
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Bath supports—Babies have slipped from bath supports and drowned
when left unsupervised in the home. Never leave any child unsupervised.
Cot, bed, pram and chair restraints—Straps and ties present strangulation
and suffocation hazards.
High chairs—Both free standing and table mounted high chairs are
associated with falling injuries, especially when the child is left
unsupervised, unrestrained or allowed to behave unsafely in the chair.
Nappy buckets have been associated with incidents of drowning or near
drowning.
Prams are associated with falling injuries and may tip backwards if of a
poor design or the handles are hung with heavy items.
Remember that restraints and safety belts supplied on equipment such as high
chairs and change mats are an extra safety measure and not to be used without a
carer present.
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
9
Some equipment should not be used in a service due to the nature of the
associated hazards. These are:
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Bouncinette—Injuries from falls when babies are left in bouncinettes on
high places such as tables.
Cot bumpers and pillows are associated with suffocation, and have been
linked to SIDS.
Baby walkers are cumbersome and easy to topple. They are not needed to
support the development of a child’s locomotive skill (walking). They are
considered unsafe for use in children’s services.
Outside play equipment
Outside play equipment must be fun but safe
Outside play equipment must be fun but safe. Most centres have fixed modular
play units with safe climbing and sliding areas (which face south to minimise sun
exposure). These units must meet with the Australian Safety Standards, AS1924.
All play equipment and landing areas should be inspected daily for wear and tear,
damage and cleanliness. The play equipment is to be used for the purposes it was
designed and for the recommended age range. When jumping from, or sliding
down, the equipment ground surfaces and landing sites need to be forgiving. A
thick layer of bark chips, grass or spongy concrete will reduce grazes, bruises and
even broken bones.
Ensure the soft fall chosen complies with relevant DoCS standards.
Activity 3
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Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
Good use of shade and trees and paths away from swings and slides
Sandpits
Shaded sand pit
Sandpits need to be maintained regularly and should be swept and raked daily.
They require a cover when not in use to deter cats and other animals. Gravel
below the sand will aid good drainage, sand should be replaced and the dirty sand
should be removed and the sandpit disinfected by raking through with pool salt.
The sandpit must have excellent sunshade as they are popular with children who
are, when playing there, often stationary with their heads bent forward exposing
their skin to the sun.
Swings
Swings should be well supervised and away from paths and busy play areas. Check
that the swing does not inhibit traffic flow when swung in either direction. Swing
mechanisms need to be checked regularly for wear and tear.
Swing seats should be made out of light weight, pliable material such as rubber,
canvas or plastic. They need to be checked daily for spiders and other insects who
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
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like to settle beneath the swing seat or in hidden corners. There has been a move
away from swings in children’s services over recent years, due to the high risk of
accidental injury regarding their use. Always supervise swing use diligently and
check that the soft fall underneath is replenished as needed as it is often ‘kicked’
away by swinging children!
Cubbies
Check cubbies for spiders, nails and splintered wood
Cubbies also must be checked for insects and spider infestations and old
splintered wood should be sanded or replaced
Ensure that the cubby construction meets appropriate safety standards and that
children using the cubby can be easily viewed by the supervising carer.
The outside play area is always a popular and exciting component of the children’s
program. The outside area needs to be appropriately equipped, set up and
maintained.
For further information and ideas on playground safety the N.S.W Playground
Advisory Unit, Kidsafe, have created a demonstration playground at The New
Children’s Hospital, Westmead. It is open to visitors and is an excellent example of
a fun, safe play space. (See Additional Resources for details)
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Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
Set up the environment to ensure
safety
It is not only the nature of the activity that can cause risks to children’s safety, but
also the way the play environment is designed and maintained on a daily basis.
The following things should be considered when designing play areas:
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Set up indoor play areas in ways that discourage running and rough and
tumble play, for instance create small rooms within the environment
using shelving and dividers rather than having large open areas that just
ask to be used for running games.
Keep areas uncluttered to minimise collisions, falls and trips
Limit the number of children that can be in an area at one time, for
instance four chairs in the creative arts area gives children a clear message
about the number of children that can use this area at one time
Ensure you provide large spaces for large block construction
Outside – remember climbing equipment needs to be on soft fall and keep
adequate space around climbing equipment to minimise a child hitting
something if they do fall.
Provide an open space for running and active play on grass and away from
high-traffic areas to minimise risk of collisions
Allocate staff to areas of the play environment in a way that ensures
visibility of all children. Odd shaped play areas can create supervision
challenges – if there is insufficient staff to effectively supervise all areas
then consider blocking off a specific area that may be hard to view until
such time as staff ratios increase.
Keep environments clean and hygienic. Waste bins should have lids that
are firmly fitted and be stored away from areas where young children
play.
Cleaning products should never be used around children and ‘pour’
bottles rather than spray bottles should be used to minimise respiratory
complaints and skin irritation through contact with cleaning products.
Check outside play areas for hazards such as broken, bottles, insects,
syringes before children use the area.
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
13
Check area for hazards and
implement risk reduction strategies
Risk identification is the first step in managing safety in the workplace and is
something that everyone – staff, families and children can be involved in.
Risks can be identified through:
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discussion
observation
review of incident reports and accidents
documenting near misses
completing risk and hazard checklists.
Safety checklists are useful tools to ensure hazard assessment is done in a
consistent way and to help you identify strategies that will minimise or eliminate
the risk. Each child care service will have their own procedures for identifying risks
and hazards. The following checklist tool illustrates the types of hazards we would
expect to find in outside play areas. It is a daily safety check that will determine of
hazards have arisen overnight, over weekends or during a closure period.
Daily outdoor safety check sheet
This checklist is to assist in conducting and recording daily inspections of the
outside play area where foreseeable risks may have arisen overnight or where
safety may have been affected since the last check.
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Checklist to be conducted and signed off on a daily basis, tick if safe, cross
if needing attention
Centre to develop procedures to deal with maintenance matters
Completed checklist to be saved
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
Outdoor check list
Week beginning _____________________
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Maintenance required
Urgent
Non urgent
Outdoor area is free of hazards e.g. broken
equipment, rubbish, trip hazards, water
Gates are locked/closed as applicable and
latches are in working order
There is nothing near any fence or gate
that would assist children to climb over
Sandpit is free of rubbish and animal faeces
(raked as appropriate)
Softfall is free of rubbish (eg syringes,
broken glass, sticks, rocks) and other
objects that may be hazard if children fell
Outdoor rubbish bins are inaccessible to
children
Ensure fire exits are kept unobstructed
Fire safety precautions
When considering the safety of the physical environment special mention must be
given to fire safety precautions. The environment needs to be safe from risk of
fire. Fire-fighting equipment must be well maintained and functional.
Fire-fighting equipment must be well maintained and functional
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
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Activity 4
Fire and emergency evacuation policy
All services must have an established, effective fire and emergency evacuation
policy which is know and practiced by all staff. In every room, by the exit, there
should be a plan of the fire escape route and the evacuation meeting point. Fire
exits must be clearly marked as such and care taken that the exit sign is always
clearly visible both day and night.
There are rules for using fire doors and fire exits. If any fire gates or doors are
locked for security reasons then there must be a staff member with a key on their
person at all times and a spare key available to use in the event of an emergency.
When any persons are in a building, all fire doors and exits must be:
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open
free swinging
never chocked open or locked shut.
well-lit signs posted at fire exits.
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
Ensure disposal of waste materials
occurs in a safe and hygienic way
Disposal of waste materials
Care must be taken in the storage and disposal of all waste in a service. When
touching any waste, whether it is recycling or kitchen scraps, hands much be
thoroughly washed and, where appropriate, gloves worn.
All bins must be sealed and stored well out of the reach of children. However,
staff must have easy access to the bins when they are disposing of waste, as any
carrying of waste to a bin will increase the risk of infection spread. All bins must
be labelled appropriately, designating their purpose to prevent the accidental
mixing of hazardous with non-hazardous waste.
Hazardous waste
Any biological hazards must be treated with extreme care. Biological hazards
include:
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body fluids
needles and syringes
dressings and bandages
nappies and soiled linen.
All bins for contaminated waste purposes should be specifically marked with
biohazard symbols, kept sealed and away from all clients.
Usually they are stored in locked or limited access rooms. The bags used to line
such bins must be strong, leak-proof, and never overfilled. Gloves must be
provided and used when dealing with such waste.
There are special requirements for the disposal of sharps.
They must be placed in designated special containers. These containers require
particular care when using and storing. These must be in sealed, strong, leakproof containers with hazard symbols apparent to all. Do not overfill these
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
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containers or put hands inside the container when disposing of sharps. Special
waste disposal companies will arrive at a service to remove these bins.
Exposure to biological hazards
If you are exposed to a biological hazard:
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If it is a puncture wound, wash under running water.
If it is bleeding, allow free flow of blood.
If it is eye splash, rinse under flowing water.
Remove any contaminated clothing.
Inform the manager/director.
Complete an incident form.
Seek medical advice to arrange blood testing.
24 HOUR NEEDLE STICK INJURY HOTLINE IN NSW:
1800 804 823
Activity 5
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Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
Ensure cleaning materials are stored
safely
Children are more vulnerable to chemical exposure that adults are. This is
because:
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Their immature skin is more absorbent and less of barrier than the skin of
an adult
Children are smaller and closer to the floor where chemicals settle,
especially at the crawling stage and are constantly picking things up and
mouthing objects that have been in contact with cleaning residue
A babies organs and body systems are immature which makes them more
vulnerable to damage from chemical exposure—organs that help the body
to excrete toxins are still developing.
Young children’s lungs work harder and faster than an adults which means
their lungs are capable of absorbing more chemical pollutants.
For these reasons it is vital that:
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We don’t clean, spray room deodorisers or insect sprays while children
are close by
Cleaning materials used in the centre should be mild, plant based and pH
neutral
Cleaning products should be stored out of reach of children but be
accessible to staff ( hazardous products should be stored in a lockable
cupboard out of reach of children, at least 1.5 metres above the ground)
Cleaning products should be stored in their original containers and be
clearly labelled
‘Pour’ or ‘squeeze’ bottles should be used rather than ‘spray’ type
dispensers to avoid misting of cleaning product.
Cleaning products are returned to their safe storage space immediately
after use.
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
19
Implement infection control
procedures where required
Infection can spread rapidly in child care services where there are many children
and adults sharing a confined space.
Infections are spread via methods such as:
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faecal-oral spread
droplet spread
contact spread
blood and bodily fluid spread.
While it is not possible to prevent the spread of all infections and illnesses within
child care centres, a lot of illnesses from infectious disease can be prevented with
the implementation of standard precautions. Standard precautions mean that we
treat every child as if they are potentially infectious—in this way we are
minimising the spread of infection.
The three most important ways of preventing the spread of infectious disease are:
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effective hand washing
exclusion of sick children and staff
immunisation.
If these are not done properly, the many other processes that support infection
control, such as cleaning and food safety procedures, will not work well.
Activity 6
Activity 7
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Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
Ensure adequate food and drinks are
served appropriate to age and
developmental status
You will understand that being hungry or thirsty can impact hugely on our
behaviour, concentration and overall enjoyment of a situation. This is equally so
for children, so we must ensure that adequate food and drink is provided to
children that meets their developmental, nutritional, medical and/or cultural
needs so that they are able to learn , play and explore fully.
The following web site may be useful—you will find many factsheets on eating
tips for the different age groups of children: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
Activity 8
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
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Summary
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A hazard is anything that could cause harm to yourself and others, a risk is
the possibility that a hazard could cause harm, injury or ill health to
yourself or others.
Sun safe habits learnt in childhood are likely to connect into adulthood.
Choose toys and equipment that conform to Australian Safety Standards
AS1647 to meet health and safety requirements
Play environments must be designed for safety and maintained on a daily
basis
Hazard identification is the first step in managing the safety of
environments.
Fire safety precautions including the regular practise of fire evacuation
drills must be in place.
Care must be taken in the storage and disposal of ways to prevent injury
and minimise infection control in the service.
Children are more vulnerable to chemical exposure – care must be taken
with the storage and use of chemicals in the service.
The provision of appropriate food and drink will ensure the good health of
children in the service.
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
Additional resources
Sun Safety
‘Sunsmart child care – a guide for service providers’:
http://www.nswcc.org.au/html/prevention/sunsmart/downloads_schools/ech_su
nsmartguide_serviceproviders.pdf
‘Quick Reference information sheet on shade’:
http://www.nswcc.org.au/html/prevention/sunsmart/downloads/informationshe
et_shadeearlychildhoodservices.pdf
Toy Safety
‘Safe Toys for Kids’ publication. Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/742396
Toy Safety Checklist:
http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/pdfs/About_us/Publications/ft125.pdf
Playground safety
Kidsafe - On this website you will find information about current news and events,
fact sheets, resources and program information to help keep children safe:
http://www.kidsafensw.org/
Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCCN301A: Reader LO 9181
© NSW DET 2010
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