Health & Safety Policy

The promotion of Health and Safety measures is a vital part of management and employee responsibilities at all levels.

Activeplay Nurseries Ltd will take all reasonable measures to prevent personal injury and damage to property and to protect everyone from foreseeable work hazards, including members of the public.

The company has a responsibility to:

• provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions taking account of any statutory requirements;
• provide training and instruction to enable employees to perform their work safely and efficiently;
• maintain a constant and continuing interest in health and safety matters applicable to the company’s activities, in particular by consulting and involving employees wherever possible;
• take advice from Ofsted, Kent County Council and other regulatory and guidance bodies regarding good practice in health and safety issues.

All employees have a duty to co-operate in the operation of this policy:

• by working safely and efficiently;
• by taking reasonable care for their own safety and that of their colleagues;
• by using the protective equipment provided and by meeting statutory obligations;
• by reporting incidents that have led or may lead to injury to people or damage to property or equipment;
• by adhering to policies and procedures for securing a safe workplace;
• by cooperating with their employer in health and safety matters;
• by assisting in the investigation of accidents with the objective of introducing new measures to prevent a recurrence.

Safety arrangements

• What to do in case of fire is covered by a separate policy and instructions.
• Trips out of the nursery are covered by a separate policy.
• Employees must report all incidents, accidents or ‘near misses’. Where necessary, this will be followed by an investigation to determine the cause so as to remedy any faults and prevent a recurrence of the incident.
• First Aid boxes are posted on each floor of the building. These are regularly checked and replenished as necessary. There is also a first aid box in the kitchen’s medicine cupboard.
• Children’s and staff’s medicines are kept in a cupboard in the kitchen, out of the reach of any child. Administration of children’s medicines is covered in the nursery’s medicine policy and procedures. All medicines are to be clearly labelled and kept in a separate plastic boxes.
• Our kitchen procedures and cooking are conducted in accordance with the government’s ‘Safer food, better business’ guidelines.
• All new employees will receive training in health and safety matters as part of their induction.
• Information on manual handling is contained within the staff policy folder. For your safety and protection, please follow these guidelines when carrying any load – which of course includes children and babies.

Good housekeeping is an essential part of health and safety and one in which all employees must play a part. This includes:

• the proper storage of clothing, tools, safety equipment, food, waste materials etc.
• Maintaining a clean environment, including children’s rooms, kitchen, toilets and public areas of the building.
• Inspecting toys, equipment, flooring etc on a regular basis to ensure that the environment is safe for children.
• Keeping a tidy environment and floors clear from trip hazards.
• Inspecting the outside play area daily to ensure that it is clean and safe before use.

The owner of the nursery, Jacquelin Curtis, will undertake regular Health and Safety training and is the company’s Health and Safety Officer.

Maintenance of equipment on which personal safety depends is the responsibility of management. All defective equipment must be withdrawn from use until faults are rectified. Staff should carefully check toys and equipment before they are given to children to use. Toys and equipment must be regularly cleaned, with particular emphasis given to the sterilisation of toys in the baby room.

A risk assessment must be carried out on each room when the first member of staff enters it. This must be recorded. A similar risk assessment must be carried out in the garden before taking children out to play. Any change to nursery routine or to the building or environment will result in a specific risk assessment being carried out.

Risk assessments will be carried out regularly by management, recorded and reviewed. Regular safety inspections will be undertaken and remedial action taken as soon as practicable.
All members of staff will undergo first aid training

Animals visiting the setting must be free from disease and safe to be with children, and must not pose a health risk. Any pets living at the nursery are free from disease, safe to be with children, and do not pose a health risk. Children must wash their hands after contact with animals.

Revised May 2022
By: Michelle Sharp
Adopted as the policy of the nursery
By: Jacquelin Curtis Director,
Activeplay Nurseries Ltd