Transcript Environmental Safety and Injury Prevention

Environmental Safety and Injury
Prevention
Injuries
• Injuries are the leading
threat to the health and
lives of American
children.
• Injuries are
understandable,
predictable and
preventable.
• Injury prevention is an
essential part of
quality child care.
How are Children Injured?
What are they?
Falls
SIDS
Poisoning
Drowning
Burns
Choking
Suffocation
How are children injured?
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Involvement with another child
Colliding with objects
Contact with objects
Motor vehicle accidents
Bicycle accidents
CPSC Study of Safety Hazards
• Looked at 220 centers nation-wide:
• 5% had recalled products
• 8% had unsafe cribs
• 13% did not use child safety
gates
• 26% had loops on the window blind cords
• 38% had children wearing clothing with
drawstrings at the neck
• 19% had cribs with soft bedding
• 24% had unsafe playgrounds
Who gets injured?
• Most frequent among 2 to 5 year olds.
• More boys than girls after age five.
When do injuries happen?
• In the late summer and spring
• Late in the morning and late in the
afternoon
Why are children injured?
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Lack of safety knowledge
Lack of ability
Hazards in the environment
Inattention to using safety devices
Lack of precautions and supervision
What is happening in your
centers?
• What kinds of injuries do you see?
• What kind of safety precautions do you
have in place?
Strategies for Injury Prevention
• Conducting regular
safety checks
• Modifying the
environment
• Supervising children
• Educating staff,
parents, children
• Parents are
primary teachers
and role models.
• Health and safety
is what parents
look for.
• Include parents in
your health and
safety efforts.
Why Develop Policies?
• To promote and protect the health and
safety of children and staff.
• To help ensure consistent practices.
• To encourage open communication.
• To help keep program in compliance with
state laws and regulations.
• To help families and staff understand child
care as a business.
Tips to Remember
• Policies need to be
feasible for the center.
• The center should
have the necessary
resources to enforce
the policies they
develop.
• Liability can increase
if policies are not
followed, or if they are
“bad” policies.