Policy Number: 1.0
Section: Poisons
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Policy: The teacher will keep hazardous substances out of the children’s reach and be prepared to handle exposure situations immediately.
Procedure:
If a child ingests a harmful substance, the teacher is responsible for executing the following emergency procedures:
Immediately remove the substance from the environment and/or have the child discard any substance that remains in their presence.
Do NOT force the child to vomit; this may cause more harm than good.
Contact poison control immediately. All teachers will maintain a list of emergency numbers, including poison control, next to the phone.
If the child is unconscious, call 911 immediately.
Check for signs of distress, including:
Drowsiness,
Fever or chills,
Stomach ache,
Loss of appetite,
Irregular breathing,
Skin rashes,
Seizures,
Vomiting, or
Blue lips and/or skin.
The teacher will prepare all necessary information to give to the poison control center, including:
The hazardous substance, including vital information from the label,
The child’s age, weight and any know health conditions,
The method of ingestion (by mouth, in eyes, through skin, inhalation),
How long the child was in contact with the hazardous substance,
If any first aid has been provided and a description of the procedures,
Whether the child has vomited or not,
The childcare facility’s name and location, and
Approximate travel time to the nearest hospital from your location.
The teacher will then report the incident to the nearest hospital and contact the child’s parents and/or guardians.
Fire Emergency Preparedness
Policy Number: 2.0
Section: Emergencies
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Policy: The teacher will prepare themselves and the children for fire emergencies by regularly practicing fire drills.
Procedure:
Each teacher will prepare and practice for fire emergencies, adhering to the following procedures:
Smoke detectors will be located in each room and throughout the childcare facility. The batteries will be changed once a year.
Each teacher must know the alternative exit routes and practice each route with the children.
All exit doors must be unlocked from the inside at all times.
The teacher will teach the children to recognize the sound of the fire alarm and to react in a calm, but urgent manner when they hear it.
Before evacuating the building, the teacher will perform a quick roll call using a pre-prepared list of all of the children that is kept next to the door.
Once evacuated, the teacher will move the children to the designated safe location, away from the building.
The teacher will then monitor the children and wait for further instructions from emergency personnel or the childcare facility’s administration.
Maintaining Outdoor Enclosures
Policy Number: 3.0
Section: Outdoor Safety
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Policy: The teacher will inspect all outdoor gates and fences daily to ensure the safety of the children. In addition, all outdoor gates, doors and enclosures will remain closed and locked at all times.
Procedure:
Each day, the teacher will perform the following procedures within the outdoor areas:
Prior to the children arriving in the morning, the teacher will inspect each gate for damage due to wear and tear and/or tampering.
If damage is found, the situation will be reported to the maintenance department immediately and the children will remain inside until the problem is resolved.
The latches on each gate will be secured with a lock and out of reach of the children.
When closing an outdoor gate, the teacher will first slide the latch closed and then apply the childproof locking mechanism.
Each main entrance will have a passcode. Passcodes will be monitored to prevent unwanted guests from gaining access to the building.
