HEALTH AND SAFETY STATEMENT

 

 

January 2024

Our policy is to provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of
work for all our employees and a safe early learning environment in which children are cared for and learn.
We provide information, training and supervision to meet this purpose and we wish to develop and
promote a strong health and safety culture within the Day Care for the benefit of all staff, children and
parents. We also accept our responsibility for the health and safety of other people who may be affected
by our activities.

The allocation of duties for safety matters and the particular arrangements which we will make to
implement the policy are set out within this policy and sufficient resources will be made available to
honour our commitment.

The policy will be kept up-to-date, particularly as the Day Care changes in nature and size and will be
revised annually, or as and when required. We therefore welcome any useful comments from members
of staff, parents and visitors regarding this policy.

Aims and objectives

The aim of this policy statement is to ensure that all reasonably practical steps are taken to ensure the
health, safety and welfare of all persons using the premises.

To achieve this we will actively work towards the following objectives:
• Establish and maintain a safe and healthy environment throughout the Day Care including
outdoor spaces
• Establish and maintain safe working procedures amongst staff and children
• Make arrangements for ensuring safety and the absence of risks to health in connection with the
use, handling, storage and transport of hazardous articles and substances

• Ensure the provision of sufficient information, instruction and supervision to enable all people
working in or using the Day Care, to avoid hazards and contribute positively to their own health
and safety and to ensure that staff have access to regular health and safety training.
• Maintain a healthy and safe Day Care and safe entry and exit from it.
• Formulate effective procedures for use in case of fire and other emergencies and for evacuating
the Day Care premises. Practice this procedure on a regular basis to enable the safe and speedy
evacuation of the Day Care.
• Follow the regulations of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and any other relevant legislation
• Maintain a safe working environment for pregnant workers or for workers who have recently
given birth including undertaking appropriate risk assessments.
• Maintain a safe environment for those with disabilities and ensure all areas of the Day Care are
accessible (wherever practicable).
• Provide a safe environment for students or trainees to learn in.
• Encourage all staff, visitors and parents to report any unsafe working practices or areas to ensure
immediate responses by the management.
• Report any serious accidents to HSE.
We believe the risks in the Day Care environment to be low and we will maintain the maximum protection
for children, staff and parents. The Day Care will;

• Ensure all entrances and exits from the building, including fire exits are clearly identifiable and
remain clear at all times
• Regularly check the premises room by room for structural defects, worn fixtures and fittings or
electrical equipment and take the necessary remedial action
• Ensure that all staff, visitors, parents and children are aware of the fire procedures and regular
fire drills are carried out
• Ensure that all members of staff are aware of the procedure to follow in case of accidents for staff,
visitors and especially children, all accidents must be recorded and reported to the manager.

• Ensure that all members of staff take all reasonable action to control the spread of infectious
diseases and wear protective gloves and clothing where appropriate
• Prohibit smoking on the Day Care premises
• Prohibit any contractor from working on the premises without prior discussion with the officer in
charge
• Prohibit running inside the premises unless in designated areas
• Risk assess all electrical sockets and take appropriate measures to reduce risks where necessary
and ensure no trailing wires are left around the Day Care
• Ensure all cleaning materials are placed out of the reach of children and kept in their original
containers
• Wear protective clothing when cooking or serving food
• Prohibit certain foods, e.g. peanuts are not allowed in the Day Care
• Ensure risk assessments are undertaken on the storage and preparation of food produce within
the Day Care
• Familiarise all staff and visitors with the position of the first aid boxes and ensure all know who
the appointed first aiders are. These are displayed in the front entrance and also within every play
room.
• Ensure children are supervised at all times
• Ensure no student/ Volunteer is left unsupervised at any time.
Responsibilities

The owner has overall responsibility for Health and Safety and final responsibility for this policy. The Day
Care manager will be responsible in his/her absence, and all staff will work as a team to ensure all risks
are mitigated.
All employees have the responsibility to co-operate with senior staff and the manager to achieve a healthy
and safe Day Care and to take reasonable care of themselves and others. Neglect of health and safety
regulations/duties will be regarded as a disciplinary matter.

Whenever a member of staff notices a health or safety problem, which they are not able to rectify, they
must immediately report it to the appropriate person named above. Parents and visitors are requested
to report any concerns they may have to the manager and or deputy manager. Daily contact, regular staff
meetings and health and safety meetings provide consultation between management and employees,
this will include health and safety matters.

Health and safety training

Person responsible for monitoring staff training is Little Crickets Management Staff

Health and safety arrangements

• All staff are responsible for general health and safety in the Day Care
• Risk assessments will be conducted on all areas of the Day Care, including rooms, activities,
outdoor areas, resources and cleaning equipment
• All outings away from the Day Care (however short) will include a prior risk assessment – more
details are included in our outings policy
• All equipment and areas will be checked thoroughly by staff before children access the area.
These checks will be recorded in each room and initialled by the staff responsible. All unsafe areas
will be rectified by this member of staff to ensure the safety of children, if this cannot be achieved
the manager will be notified immediately
• We provide appropriate facilities for all children, staff, parents and visitors to receive a warm
welcome and basic care needs, e.g. easy to access toilet area and fresh drinking water.
• The Day Care will adhere to Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulation (COSHH) to
ensure all children, staff, parents and visitors are safe around any chemicals we may use on the
premises
• All staff and students will receive appropriate training in all areas of health and safety which will
include risk assessments, manual handling and fire safety.

• We have a clear fire safety policy and procedure which supports the prevention of fire and the
safe evacuation of all persons in the Day Care. This is to be shared with all staff, students, parents
and visitors to the Day Care.

• Staff and parents are able to contribute to any policy through the suggestion scheme and during
the regular meetings held at Day Care.

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This policy will be reviewed annually by Management and the Day Care Manager