SAFETY PRACTICES
1304.22, 1304.53, 1304.52
Policy
To provide and maintain a safe and healthy environment for children, staff and visitors.
Procedure
Active Supervision
1. Staff should leave no child left alone or unsupervised while in their care.
2. Staff will position themselves so they can see and hear all children in their care.
3. Staff will account for children in their care by observing and counting children
frequently.
4. Stay close to children who need additional support.
5. DHS will be notified of any injury to a child requiring emergency medical attention by the
next business day.
Indoor Safety
1. All facilities will have an updated ABC all-purpose fire extinguisher. Center Directors
will be responsible for having fire extinguishers checked annually and recharged as
needed. Center Director will ensure all staff have read directions on how to use the
fire extinguishers, ensure all staff understands how to use the extinguishers, and are
made aware of location of all extinguishers.
2. Only one drawer of a file cabinet shall be pulled out at a time in order to avoid
over-balancing.
3. Boxes, chairs, etc. shall not be used in place of ladders.
4. Rooms will be arranged to eliminate safety hazards.
5. Materials will be stored on shelves in a manner to prevent falling; heavy objects
shall be placed on lower shelves.
6. Materials and equipment will be safe, durable and kept in good condition. Broken
equipment will be repaired promptly or taken off premise and replaced as funds
allow.
7. Cleaning supplies or toxic substances shall be used only as directed and are to be
stored out of reach of children with a child-proof lock. All medications, including
those required for staff and volunteers, are labeled, stored under lock and key,
refrigerated if necessary and kept out of reach of children.
8. Electrical outlets must have protective caps when not in use.
9. Broken glass and other sharp objects shall not be placed in waste paper containers
or allowed within reach of children. These should be discarded in a dumpster or
other outside secure trash receptacle. Garbage and trash will be stored in a safe
and sanitary manner until collected and disposed of.
10. All sewage and liquid waste shall be disposed of through a sewer system.
11. There shall be no open flames or candles.
12. Practical jokes, horseplay and other forms of potentially dangerous non-work
activities are unacceptable under all circumstances while at Head Start.
Appropriate wellness activities and safe play associated with teaching young
children is acceptable and encouraged.
13. Classroom staff must complete First Aid and CPR training within one year of
employment. Staff will receive First Aid and CPR cards after completing the course.
Staff will be responsible in keeping First Aid and CPR requirements current.
Documentation will be sent to Administrative Office to be placed in personnel file.
14. There must be a Red Cross sign posted showing where the first aid kit is located.
Kits must be stored in a place that is accessible to adults but out of reach of
children. Teaching staff will ensure that first aid kits are maintained according to
Licensing Requirements and documented on the First Aid Kit Inventory
form KHS-305.
15. A first aid kit, the Child Emergency Information Binder, and attendance record
must be taken on all educational field trips, off campus cafeterias, off
campus playgrounds and emergency drills.
16. The Emergency Procedures Guide is completed by the Center Director and Center
staff with emergency contact numbers and emergency procedures. The guide will
be posted in each classroom near the telephone.
17. Emergency evacuation routes will be posted in each classroom.
18. Emergency drills will be practiced according to the Fire Drill and Tornado
Drill Policy and documented on the Emergency Drill Report KHS- 306.
19. Children must not be present during the spraying of pesticides or herbicides.
Children must not return to the affected area until it is safe to do so.
20. Each center will meet fire, sanitation and State Day Care requirements.
21. Rooms will be well lit and emergency lighting will be available in case of power
failure. Exits will be clearly visible.
22. Window and glass doors will be adjusted to prevent injury to children. Blind cords
will hang freely with no knots.
23. Paint used on premises will be lead free.
24. Any unsafe or hazardous condition that cannot be repaired by staff or volunteers at
the center, must be reported to the Administrative Office.
Playground Safety
1. Teaching staff will thoroughly inspect all areas of the playground each day prior
to the children’s outdoor time and will document the inspection by initialing
the Lesson Plan KHS- 603. This inspection will include but not be limited
to the following:
a) Playground is free of needles, glass and other dangerous objects.
b) Impact material under play structure and swings are at a depth
of six inches. (This can be maintained by staff or volunteers replacing,
leveling and raking).
c) Playground is free of tall grass, untrimmed shrubbery, standing water
and litter.
d) Grass is being used as impact-absorbing material only if the highest
accessible part of the equipment is four feet or less.
e) Fall zones extend a minimum of six feet in all direction from the perimeter of
the equipment.
f) The fall zone for single-axis swings that move forward and backward extend
to the front and rear of the swing a distance of two times the length of the
swing’s chain.
e) Swing chains are free of kinks, twisting and are not wrapped around base.
“S” hooks are not worn and thinning.
d) Gate entrance/exits are latched for security.
2. Teaching staff will go over playground safety rules with children daily, these rules
must be posted, written and include appropriate pictures or visual cues.
3. Teaching staff will remind children of the following practices while the children are
playing outside.
a) Appropriate areas that are safe for running.
b) Appropriate play for slide safety: Unsafe play would be: lying down head
first, sitting down backwards, climbing up slide, jumping off slide.
c) Sand play: throwing, eating, and putting down clothes are not acceptable.
d) Safety regarding found objects, (glass, syringes, trash, insects, and snakes).
e) Tricycle play: Establish a specific direction of travel and safe location for
children to ride without running into pedestrians.
4. Children must be supervised on playground at all times.
a) There will be a minimum of two staff persons on the playground during
outdoor play.
b) Staff must be strategically located on the playground so they are on
opposite sides of the playground and can view children at all times.
c) A fanny pack must be taken to playground, it must include: disposable
gloves, tissue and trash bags.
5. Equipment must be repaired in a timely manner.
a) Equipment with loose, missing parts.
b) Equipment with protruding bolts or nails.
c) Equipment with splintering wood. (Wood equipment will be sanded and
treated on an annual schedule).
d) Equipment that may be unsafe or hazardous in any way.
6. Playground equipment that cannot be repaired or made safe will be removed from
the playground and discarded from center as needed.
Accidents Involving Staff Performing Job Related Duties
1. The injured employee should notify the supervisor immediately.
2. If the emergency is serious enough to warrant, (life or limb threatening) the
supervisor will summon professional medical aid immediately or have the injured
employee transported to an emergency health care facility.
3. The supervisor will notify the KI BOIS Administrative Office (Human
Resources Office).
4. The injured employee, along with the supervisor, must complete the Employee
Accident Report KHS-311(as soon after the incident as possible) and forward to
the KI BOIS Administrative Office. Every injury on the job, regardless of its
severity, must be documented by a report.
5. Human Resource personnel is to maintain close contact with the injured employee
or the employee’s family. Progress reports on the injury are to be prepared for the
safety officer. A release to work with no restrictions will be required prior to return to
work.
6. If the Supervisor is the injured person the next person in charge will ensure all
procedures are followed.
Accident Investigation
1. All accidents will be thoroughly and promptly investigated. Serious accidents
should immediately be report to the KI BOIS Administrative Office. The objective of
such investigations is to determine the accident causes so that measures may be
taken to prevent accidents of the same type, not to assign blame.
2. It will be the responsibility of the Supervisor to investigate all accidents at the
earliest possible time after its occurrence.
3. A written report will be filed on the accident within two days. A record of facts
including pictures, sketches, written witness statements, etc. could be beneficial in
litigation.
4. Cooperation in staff accident investigation is required of staff who have knowledge
about or have witnessed an accident.
Blood borne Pathogens
(To comply with Sub Part CFR Part 1910.1030)
1. Exposure will be considered present during first aid assistance whenever blood
or body fluids is/are present.
2. Staff will attend Blood Bourne Pathogen training or view the video “Blood
Bourne Pathogen” as determined necessary by their supervisor or the State of
Oklahoma. Blood Bourne Pathogen training is mandatory and must be completed
annually.
3. When required, protective supplies must be used during specific task.
Protective gloves and cleaning supplies will be on hand at centers and in all
vehicles that provide transportation to children. This may include, disposable
gloves, wipes and other first aid supplies needed to safely and appropriately attend
to an emergency.
4. Disposable gloves shall be used by providers of first aid where blood, or body
fluids of any kind may come in contact with person or persons providing first aid.
Gloves shall be in all first aid kits. All blood and body fluids shall be treated as if
contaminated by HIV (Human Immune Deficiency Virus) and HBV (Hepatitis B
Virus).
5. Once first aid is completed and after removing disposable gloves, and as soon as
possible hands must be washed.
6. Upon completion of first aid, all materials that have come in contact with blood or
any other body fluids will be placed in a plastic bag, tied and discarded in a
dumpster or other outside secure trash receptacle for disposal.
7. All surfaces shall be cleaned and decontaminated after contact with blood or body
fluids with a bleach solution according to Licensing Requirements for Child Care
Centers Supplement V, see Classroom Sanitation Policy. Gloves and infected
material will be placed in a plastic bag, tied and discarded in a dumpster or other
outside secure trash receptacle for disposal.
8. If there is contamination of a puncture in the skin or contamination of the mouth or
eyes by another person’s body fluids, report the exposure incident immediately to
your supervisor and KI BOIS Administrative Office. A confidential medical
evaluation and follow up will be made available to the exposed employee.
Workplace Violence
1. It is the policy of KI BOIS Community Action Foundation, Inc. that violence, making
a threat of violence (however casual) is not appropriate in the workplace and may
result in disciplinary action.
2. KI BOIS Community Action Foundation, Inc. employees are to report all violence or
threats of violence to their supervisor and/or Executive Director or his designee at
the earliest opportunity. Threats of violence can be from customers, co-workers or
domestic (obsessive love affairs and personal disputes that spill over into the
workplace).
3. Any KI BOIS Community Action Foundation, Inc. employee who observes anyone
with a weapon on the premises shall report the observation immediately to
management.
4. You should report all forms of violence - verbal or physical to your immediate
supervisor. Report the actual behavior/threats that were made, give the facts of
where and when the violence happened, who witnessed it, and what was said.
Supervisors must immediately report the incident to management staff.
Drug Free Workplace
1. The use of alcohol and other non-prescription drugs is prohibited during work hours
(with the exception of over the counter medications that will not affect a person’s
ability to work effectively/safely i.e. ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen/Tylenol and
remedies to alleviate allergy symptoms that do not cause excessive drowsiness).
2. Prescription drugs that cause drowsiness and may affect the staff’s ability to
perform their job in a safe manner are prohibited. Staff taking this type
of medication must either stay home until they complete the medication or bring a
signed note from their health care provider stating “this drug will in no way affect the
staff’s ability to satisfactorily perform the duties stated in their job description”.
Questions regarding procedures or assistance can be obtained by contacting the
KI BOIS Human Resource/Safety Department at 918.967.3325 or 800.299.4479.
6-2015