Health and Safety

At Precious Kids we 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 learn and are cared for. To develop and promote a strong health and safety culture within the nursery for the benefit of all staff, children and parents, we provide information, training and supervision. We also accept our responsibility for the health and safety of other people who may be affected by our activities

To achieve this we will actively work towards the following objectives:
• Establish and maintain a safe and healthy environment throughout the nursery including outdoor spaces
• Establish and maintain safe working practices amongst staff and children
• Make arrangements for ensuring safety and the minimising 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 nursery 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 nursery with safe entry and exit routes
• Formulate effective procedures for use in case of fire and other emergencies and for evacuating the nursery premises. Practice this procedure on a regular basis to enable the safe and speedy evacuation of the nursery
• 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 special educational needs and disabilities and ensure all areas of the nursery are accessible (wherever practicable)
• We identify and assess any water sources at risk of legionella[1], and manage these risks including avoiding stagnant water.
• 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 response by the management.

We believe the risks in the nursery environment are low and we will maintain the maximum protection for children, staff and parents. The nursery 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
• Have the appropriate fire detection and control equipment which is checked regularly to make sure it is in working order
• Ensure that all members of staff are aware of the procedure to follow in case of accidents for staff, visitors and children
• 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
• Ensure there are suitable hygienic changing facilities (see infection control policy)
• Prohibit smoking on the nursery premises
• Prohibit any contractor from working on the premises without prior discussion with the officer in charge
• Encourage children to manage risks safely and 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 nursery
• 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 that may relate to children’s allergies, e.g. peanuts are not allowed in the nursery
• We follow the EU Food Information for Food Consumers Regulations (EU FIC). These rules are enforced in the UK by the Food Information Regulations 2014 (FIR). We identify the 14 allergens listed by EU Law that we use as ingredients in any of the dishes we provide to children and ensure that all parents are informed
• Follow the allergies and allergic reactions policy for children who have allergies
• Ensure risk assessments are undertaken on the storage and preparation of food produce within the nursery
• Familiarise all staff and visitors with the position of the first aid boxes and ensure all know who the appointed first aiders are
• Provide appropriately stocked first aid boxes and check their contents regularly
• Ensure children are supervised at all times
• Ensure no student or volunteer is left unsupervised at any time
• Ensure staff paediatric first aid certificates are available on site.