Health and safety
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE OF PRACTICE
Code of Practice statement
At BritAcademy we believe that the health and safety of children is of paramount importance. We make our setting a safe and healthy place for children, parents, staff and volunteers.
We aim to make children, parents and staff aware of health and safety issues and to minimise the hazards and risks to enable the children to thrive in a healthy and safe environment.
Our members of staff responsible for health and safety are: Ramona Glodeanu, Andra Constantin
Procedures
We operate a no smoking policy.
Children are made aware of health and safety issues through discussions, planned activities and routines.
Safety of adults
When adults need to reach up to store equipment or to change light bulbs they are provided with safe equipment to do so.
The sickness of staff and their involvement in accidents is recorded. The records are reviewed termly to identify any issues that need to be addressed.
We keep all cleaning chemicals in their original containers and locked.
Floors
All floor surfaces are checked daily to ensure they are clean and not uneven, wet or damaged.
Electrical/gas equipment
All electrical/gas equipment conforms to safety requirements and is checked regularly.
Fires, heaters, electric sockets, wires and leads are properly guarded and the children are taught not to touch them.
The temperature of hot water is controlled to prevent scalds.
Lighting and ventilation is adequate in all areas including storage areas.
Storage
All resources and materials from which children select are stored safely.
All equipment and resources are stored or stacked safely to prevent them accidentally falling or collapsing.
Outdoor area
Our outdoor area is securely fenced.
Our outdoor area is checked for safety and cleared of rubbish before it is used.
Adults and children are alerted to the dangers of poisonous plants, herbicides and pesticides.
Where water can form a pool on equipment, it is emptied before children start playing outside.
Our outdoor sand pit is covered when not in use and is cleaned regularly.
All outdoor activities are supervised at all times.
Hygiene
We regularly seek information from the Environmental Health Department and the Health Authority to ensure that we keep up-to-date with the latest recommendations.
Our daily routines encourage the children to learn about personal hygiene.
We have a daily cleaning routine for the setting which includes play room(s), kitchen, rest area, toilets.
We have a schedule for cleaning resources and equipment.
The toilet area has a high standard of hygiene and sinks are adapted to children’s height.
We implement good hygiene practices by:
cleaning tables between activities;
cleaning toilets regularly;
Activities and resources
Before purchase or loan, equipment and resources are checked to ensure that they are safe for the ages and stages of the children currently attending the setting.
The layout of play equipment allows adults and children to move safely and freely between activities.
All equipment is regularly checked for cleanliness and safety and any dangerous items are repaired or discarded.
All materials, including paint and glue, are non-toxic.
Sand is clean and suitable for children’s play.
Physical play is constantly supervised.
Children are taught to handle and store tools safely.
Children who are sleeping are checked regularly.
Children learn about health, safety and personal hygiene through the activities we provide and the routines we follow.
Any faulty equipment is removed from use and is repaired. If it cannot be repaired it is discarded.
Fire & emergency evacuation
The ability to evacuate the school quickly and in an orderly fashion depends on good planning and regular practice. The following preparations for evacuation are in place:
- An evacuation plan which allows for the evacuation of the school building to a safe meeting point within a safe timeframe.
- Fire escape routes & exits and emergency procedures which are prominently displayed and clearly marked for the benefit of unfamiliar users of the building, particularly during the hours of darkness. Signs to be in both English and Romanian.
The following responsibilities must be clearly assigned to teachers, or members of the school’s management to be carried out in the event of a school evacuation:
Evacuation
- Class teachers are responsible for evacuating pupils from classrooms.
- Facilitating evacuation by ensuring that all exits are clear throughout evacuation
- Checking visually that all classrooms, toilets, storerooms dining room and kitchen have been evacuated
- Checking visually that all floors have been evacuated.
- Ensuring all classrooms and floors have been checked and confirmed as evacuated.
Illness
We take every attempt to make our school building and environment a safe and healthy place for every child by encouraging healthy habits and safe behaviour. This extends to to staying home when ill. Students who are ill are not to be sent to school.
Children who are running a fever, have a severe cold or otherwise appear to be too sick to be in school must be kept home. Children must be fever-free for at least a day before being sent to school without the use of antipyretics (Tylenol, Panadol, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, etc.). Students recovering from severe colds must no longer be sneezing, coughing or otherwise spreading bacteria.
Contagious diseases such as pink eye or strep-throat must be under control before your child is admitted back to school.
Should the child start to show the onset of serious symptoms while at school, parents or the emergency contact in the List of students document records will be notified and arrangements will be made for the child to be picked up at school. While waiting for pickup, the students will be kept in the conference with the school nurse.
Accidents / Emergency Medical Treatment
All staff members receive first-aid training and classrooms are equipped with first aid kits.
Families must ensure that the school’s records are kept up to date; any time a new health insurance card, policy or other document is issued, the school must receive a copy.
After an injury/accident case, the school nurse is contacted. The office staff must contact parents in cases of injury and illness as a matter of routine. When in doubt, the school will call and ask the parent to make a decision as to whether a child should remain in school, go home and/or receive medical attention.
Minor injuries including minor cuts, bruises and grazes, will be treated by the school nurse who is regularly trained in first aid. Incident reports are available.
If we are unable to contact anyone concerning a sick or injured child, and there is doubt as to the severity of the condition, we will call an ambulance. In the case of head injuries it is always better to error on the side of caution and call an ambulance immediately.
Role of the pre-school nurse
- provides healthcare to students and staff
- monitors the state of the first aid boxes and make sure it is efficiently stocked
- ensuring the nursing room (located in the conference room) has all necessary equipment to treat injuries
- actively participates in school safety plans that address school violence, bullying, and emergencies that may occur at school
- serves as liaison between school and families to ensure a healthy school environment
- assess’ the school environment to prevent injury and ensure safety; i.e. oversees infection control measures
- serves as consultant with other school professionals, such as food service personnel, physical education teachers, coaches, and counselor
Incident Reporting
All serious incidents involving students are documented at BritAcademy and the relevant parties are provided with a copy of the incident report. Serious incidents fall into two categories: accidents resulting in injuries and behavioural.
Accidents
In the event that a student is seriously injured or if the extent of the injury is uncertain, the supervising teacher will complete an incident report with school administration. The report will contain a description of the events leading up to the injury as well as what action was taken after the fact. All this information will be sent to parents via e-mail. For minor incidents, class teachers will briefly communicate to parents what happened via email.
Please note that while at BritAcademy students are always supervised, it is possible that an accident/injury can occur without the supervising teacher actually witnessing the event. In such cases, this will be documented and a summary of the event will be included in the accident report.
In severe or life-threatening situations or if there is any doubt as to whether a student is in a life-threatening situation, simultaneous calls will be made to the emergency services and the parents.