Practitioners should check regularly that objects and equipment are safe or broken such as checking for wear and tear e. g.: rust and fraying toys. Equipment should be checked that they are clean and dry before children start to play on them such as climbing frames and slides this could be a hazard when used wet because the children could slip or fall off or on the climbing frame slides should have an impact absorbing mat underneath it so it if the children fall off they will not injure them self.
Practitioners should check that the outdoor playground is free from hazardous waste such as fasces and litter and equipment is used appropriately this would avoid hazards such as children getting cuts, bruises, major and minor injuries. Infections: Disposing/Handling Waste: Practitioners use designated bins for specific types of waste such as body fluids and domestic waste. Soiled nappies, gloves and dressings should be disposed in a sealed bag in a covered nappy disposal tub, which then gets disposed when full this helps stop the spread of infection outside of the nursery in large waste disposable bin which is collected everyday waste can be a source of infection so it is important that practitioners follow the procedures the employer has put in place for them to be dealt with appropriately. Personal Protective Clothing: Practitioners us protective clothing such as aprons, gloves, and masks use these for doing daily tasks around the nursery such as preparing meals they would wear blue aprons, white aprons, masks and gloves are for changing nappies, and cleaning up around the nursery.
It is important that practitioners wear personal protective clothing because it helps reduce the spread of infection getting on their clothes/hands and spreading it to the next person they come in contact with. Readwhat is challenging behavior in health and social careLaundry/Linen: In nurseries practitioners use allocated bed linen for each child at naptime bed linen is washed once every week and if they are visibly dirty. All clean linen is put separate from used or soiled bedding this would help prevent cross infection dirty linen like children clothing that has been soiled by fasces or by urine they are put in a bag for a parent/carer to collect when they pick up the child at the end of the day or the nursery would put the soiled clothes in the laundry if consent from the parents/carers. Security Systems: Confidentiality: Practitioners put in place in a nursery security systems to help protect the children and staff such as confidentiality this is a legal requirement under the data protection act 1998 and also an individual right to have information kept confidential. Some information should be kept in a filling cabinet in an office where the manager or deputy manager should only have the lock or key confidential information that is kept on computers should have a secret password to prevent unauthorized people to have access.
Confidentiality is very important because if broken the parents would lose their trust in the practitioners and the organization. Hazards that could arise from a breech of confidentiality are is a practitioner giving out personal details about the children to other parents or strangers this could be putting the child and the family in danger. Intercom/Signing In and Out/CCTV: Practitioners also maintain security in a nursery by putting in place a number of security systems such as an intercom, signing in and out book and CCTV. An intercom is put in place to see and or hear who is outside the nursery trying to gain access this is important at home time so no child would be handed over to anyone other than the parent or a relative with out a note from the parent or relative with out a note from the parent or a password being produced. Also in a nursery they have a signing in and out book for the staff, visitors, and children this is to monitor who is coming in and out of the setting practitioners should keep the books up to date if they leave the building at anytime incase there is a fire. If these security systems are not put in place then hazards such as intruders entering the nursery and children leaving the nursery with out a parent/carer or practitioner could arise.
Harm and Abuse: A person could abuse or neglect a child by failing to prevent harm and by inflicting harm practitioner’s first priory should be the child in the setting so they have a duty to protect them from abuse. Neglect: Is constant failure to meet the children’s physical and psychological needs, which could sometimes lead to impairment in the child’s health and development such as untreated medical problems, poor hygiene and malutision/under noishment the signs of neglect is a child always being hungry or doesn’t like being alone. Sexual Abuse: Is when a children don’t give free consent for sexual activity this could lead to the child feeling its there fault the short/long term effects from sexual abuse are post traumatic stress, and anxiety children who suffered from sexual abuse find it hard to trust others the signs of sexual abuse are the child having discomfort walking/sitting, loss of appetite, drawings, and poor self esteem. Physical Abuse: Is when someone cause deliberate physical harm to a child it includes actions such as hitting, kicking, biting, squeezing, burning, throwing and shaking long term effects from physical abuse could be physical disabilities e. g.
: brain damage and could emotional/behavior problems. The signs of physical abuse on a child could be bruising in unlikely places and could sometimes be in a shape, pattern and or imprint of the object used and the child would shy away from physical contact during playtime. Emotional Abuse: Is when a child is harmed mentally or emotionally and when a child’s emotional needs are not met such as love and affection this could damage their development and make it hard for them to make friends. Emotional abuse could leave the child feeling unworthy of love and affection emotional abuse consist of humiliation, bullying, shouting, swearing and constant teasing. Safeguarding Children: It is essential that nurseries safeguard children from harm and abuse whenever they are in the setting to avoid hazards such as children being abused within the nursery by practitioners and or being abused at home by family and friends. Working conditions: Staffing Levels (Ratio): In nursery practitioners has a ratio for children in the baby room it is 1: 3 and toddler room 1: 4 and pre-school room is 1: 8 this is the minimum adult to a child within the setting.
Nurseries must supervise children safely at all times and to the minimum staff to a child ratio the younger the children are the closer the supervision needs to be practitioners need to adjust the ratio they give to fit the changing circumstances such as trips. A hazard that could arise from their not being enough ratios is the children would be left unsupervised then injures and accidents could happen. Substances: Cleaning Products: In a nursery practitioners use many cleaning products such as milton, air freshener, anti-septic spray/gel, washing up liquids, bleach and floor cleaner if not stored in the appropriate way which with the lids tight on and stored in a locked cupboard so hazards such as children gaining access to the dangerous substances and ingesting them which could lead to health problems because they have been poisoned many cleaning products look appealing to children some product packaging can look like brightly colored which make children think it is food or drink.
