CHCCN511A: Establish, manage and monitor the implementation of a safe and healthy environment

Promote hygiene and safety practices

Contents

CHCCN511A: Establish, manage and monitor the implementation of a safe and healthy environment.................................................1 Promote hygiene and safety practices...........................................1 Contents............................................................................................2 Explain and monitor policies for medication administration, storage and documentation.............................................................3 Explaining medication policies to staff............................................3 Monitor and reinforce the safe storage of hazardous materials with workers......................................................................................5 Household cleaners.......................................................................5 Safe storage of dangerous substances..........................................6 Storing hazardous materials...........................................................7 Promoting the safe use and storage of hazardous materials..........7 Demonstrate and effectively communicate guidelines for safe food handling and storage...............................................................9 Modelling and reinforcing safe food-handling practices................11 Promote and demonstrate practices for managing childrens hygiene needs.................................................................................13 Promoting childrens hygiene practices........................................13 Promoting staffs personal hygiene..............................................14 Strategies for developing hygiene and reducing spread of infection .....................................................................................................15

Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

Explain and monitor policies for medication administration, storage and documentation

Administering medication in the centre is an important aspect of childcare health practices that requires careful attention to detail. Small children can easily be harmed by the failure to develop and follow proper procedures. While some centres do refuse to give medications of any type and require parents to come to the centre to administer medications to their child, this practice does not seem very supportive of working parents. Clear policies and procedures relating to the handling of medications will ensure that we can administer medication safely to children and support working families.

Explaining medication policies to staff

Is it enough, though, to believe that if there are clear medication policies and procedures in place that they will always be followed? Not really. Our job as team leaders will be to ensure that all staff know exactly how they should respond in different situations and why its important that they should act in a certain way. How will we do this? We can implement strategies such as the following: Discuss the medication policy with all staffin team meetings, on a one-to-one basis and on their arrival at the service as part of induction. Display clear, concise instructions about safe storage of medications on the fridge or storage cupboard where medications are kept.

Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

 Address sensitively any concerns or inconsistencies of practice as they arise with individual staff. Regularly check the medication book and immediately follow up any mistakes in documentation or inconsistencies. Talk to families about the services medication policy and the reasons for its existence. Send copies of the policy to the familiesattaching them to the monthly newsletter is a good idea. Summarise key points in relation to prescribed and non-prescribed medications in the service newsletter. Organise a brief staff meeting at specific times during the year, eg at the beginning of winter when many children will be unwell, to remind staff of safe practices regarding the handling, administration, storage and documentation of medications in the service. Of course, the strategies we will use will depend on our preferred communication style, the needs of our staff and families we are working with and the particular situation with which we are dealing.

Activity 1

Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

Monitor and reinforce the safe storage of hazardous materials with workers

Which of the following do you think could be considered a hazardous material? disinfectant scissors knives fly spray soap medicine carpet cleaner. If you thought all of them were, you are right! Anything in the childcare service that has the potential to cause accidents, injury or illness is a hazardous material and needs to be securely stored.

Household cleaners
It is important for us to be aware of what ingredients there are in the household cleaners that we use every dayas some of these are harmful to us and our environment. It would be an excellent idea to look for alternative recipes to make the same household products yourself. The use of safer ingredients is especially important for children (and adults) who have asthma as commercial cleaning products can contain irritants that can trigger an episode of asthma. There are many websites with recipes. Try this one to begin with: http://www.metrokc.gov/health/asthma/facts/greencleaning.htm

Activity 2

Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

Safe storage of dangerous substances

Dangerous substances should be stored in a child-resistant container that is labelled with a description of its contents and directions for their use. Dangerous substances that pose a hazard to children are all required to be stored securely in an area that is inaccessible to children. These include cleaning materials, disinfectants, poisonous and other dangerous substances, dangerous tools and equipment, toiletries, medications, first aid equipment and sharp or jagged objects. Medications that need to be refrigerated should be kept in a childresistant container in the fridge. Is safe storage always enough to ensure staff and childrens safety? Not really! How will we know how to store a material or substance safely if we arent familiar with it? Take the example of chemicals. We really need to know a little about what we are using or storing to ensure our own safety and that of others in our workplace. We can find information about the chemicals we might be using in the service in a resource called material safety data sheets (MSDS).

Material safety data sheets

These fact sheets must be available to all staff under the Childrens Services Regulation 2004 and can be obtained by contacting the manufacturer of the chemical. Material safety data sheets contain information on: what chemicals are in the container what the potential health effects are if the chemical is inhaled, ingested or comes in contact with skin or eyes where it should be stored and at what temperature how the chemicals should be used what precautions we need to take (eg wear gloves when using it, use in a well-ventilated room, etc) what first aid actions are recommended in case of accidents involving the chemical what the use-by date is.

Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

This information needs to be recorded and stored in a place accessible to all staff. A hazardous materials register stored with the chemicals or where chemicals are prepared is ideal. NOTE: By carrying out a risk assessment on the use and needs for these chemicals, it is a good time to see if you actually need this product. It may be totally eliminated, or replaced by a safer/greener product.

Storing hazardous materials

The storage of hazardous materials must be up high and away from where children can access the products. You will need to consider the age and skill level of the children in your care when choosing a storage location. You will need to ask yourself if the children will be able to reach the shelves or cupboard where the hazardous materials will be stored and if they will be able to access the storage area. Some other strategies to reduce the risk of potential injury or illness caused by exposure to hazardous materials include: Install child-proof locks and trying to only purchase chemicals with child-proof caps. Regularly clean out storage cupboards and dispose of old or empty containers appropriately. Try to reduce the numbers of chemicals in the service. Warm soapy water is sufficient for most cleaning purposes in the childcare service (NSW Infection Control Policy 2001). Green cleaners that are environmentally friendly can be used instead of chemicals. Did you know vinegar mixed with water can be used to clean most bathroom surfaces?

Promoting the safe use and storage of hazardous materials

Once you have ensured the safe storage of hazardous materials in the service, you need to promote the safe use and storage of hazardous materials with all staff. This is best done in an ongoing way, monitoring and reinforcing positive practices and discussing any inappropriate or incorrect

Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

use, storage or handling of chemicals or materials with the individuals concerned as soon as possible.

Strategies to use with staff

Spend adequate time discussing the safe storage of chemicals with the group at induction or orientation. Display clear notices and posters to reinforce the procedures and practices near storage areas for hazardous materials. Make sure there are adequate supplies of gloves, aprons and safety glasses (personal protective equipment) for staff to wear when necessary. Observe staff and recognise positive behaviours verbally to reinforce appropriate practices. Sensitively remind staff when inappropriate practices are observed. Choose the time and place for these reminders carefully. Nobody wants to be corrected in front of coworkers or family members. Provide training opportunities for these staff either to attend outside of the service or you might even present some in-house training.

Remember:
Never use soft drink bottles or other food or drink containers to store or dispense chemicals. This is an extremely dangerous practice as children and adults alike can unknowingly drink from these and be poisoned. All chemicals are potential poisons. All of them can cause injury or death if someone is exposed to them in a dangerous way.

Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

Demonstrate and effectively communicate guidelines for safe food handling and storage

Proper food-handling and storage techniques are critical if the children and staff in the childcare service are to be safe and healthy. A number of diseases can be easily transmitted while preparing food because of poor food-handling and storage practices. It is essential that these are maintained in the childcare service: strict hygiene procedures effective food storage ongoing monitoring of staff workplace practices. What are safe food-handling practices? You may already know quite a bit about safe food-handling and storage practices. Can you identify at least 10 hazards in the picture below?

A dirty kitchen and unsafe food handling practices

Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

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Whether you are preparing food at home for family and friends or preparing meals for children in the childcare setting you need to be aware of the following strategies to ensure you dont spread disease and make others sick. Remember: Wash your hands before handling raw food. Prevent cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods by keeping raw and cooked foods separate as well as using separate utensils for them. Keep food hot (over 60 degrees Celsius) or keep food cold (under 4 degrees Celsius). Discard food that has been partially used or heated once already. Reheat meals thoroughly (above 60 degrees Celsius) and them let them cool down. Heat milk for infant bottles once only and then discard leftovers. Pin back hair to lessen the likelihood of it falling into the food or using fingers to push it out of the way. Wear disposable gloves on hands if you have cuts or sores on your hands. Ensure food-handling and nappy-changing duties are carried out by different caregivers. As this is often difficult to enforce, we need to keep the two areas separate and reinforce and practise effective hand washing. Clean up any spills immediately with warm soapy water. Ensure food is not stored on the floor. All of these factors are probably familiar to you but are you as comfortable with knowing how to encourage these behaviours in the other members of your work team? The following discussion highlights some strategies you might find helpful.

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Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

Modelling and reinforcing safe foodhandling practices

When you see unsafe or inappropriate work practices happening in the service it is important to realise that the worker may not know what they have done wrong. As coordinators, it is important that we model and consistently reinforce service guidelines in a clear fashion. Our response must be sensitive and timely. It is much more effective (and safe!) to give feedback immediately than wait for a more appropriate moment that may never happen. However, correcting someone in front of other staff or a family member is not likely to make them feel very good about themselves or to change their workplace practices! Some other ways we can help staff to know the right thing to do when preparing food include: recording and displaying procedures for bottle and food preparation near the areas where these tasks will be carried out organising regular reviews of the service policy and procedures in team meetings and using the opportunity to discuss issues that may have come up in the service offering immediate feedback and gentle, sensitive reminders when you notice inappropriate practices and remember it is just as important to provide feedback to staff when you notice staff modelling appropriate practices to other staff and children, eg Quan, I heard you telling the children how important it was to wash their hands before they made the fruit kebabs today. Youll be pleased to know I heard Elvie and Soumitra talking to their parents just a little while ago, telling them they wanted to help make dinner tonight but they all had to wash their hands first to stop the germs from getting into the food. collecting professional journal articles and media clippings that focus on health and hygiene in childrens services and then developing a system for storing and displaying these as a trigger for staff discussion and ongoing professional development. Essentially we need to use every opportunity we can to promote a culture of safety where all staff are committed to providing safe food-handing and storing practices.

Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

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Activity 3
Children learn so much from cooking experiences and learning how to safely prepare food can and should be part of this learning experience too.

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Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

Promote and demonstrate practices for managing childrens hygiene needs

Another important aspect of maintaining wellness in the childcare service and also in developing knowledge and skills that foster independence is promoting and modelling the importance of good personal hygiene with the children in our care. You will be aware that children in full day care are exposed to more people and are at greater risk of illness and accidents because of their age and stages of development. (National Health and Medical Research Council, Staying Healthy in Child Care 2001) Young children have a tendency to explore their world by mouthing materials and equipment in their environment. While this is a normal stage of play it is also unfortunately a means of contracting and spreading illnesses.

Promoting childrens hygiene practices

You have an important role to play, therefore, in promoting childrens hygiene practices from an early age to manage the spread of infection in the service. Remember children are great imitators so if we role model best practice then the children are more likely to copy our healthy behaviours. Below are some strategies: Encourage effective hand washing at regular times during the day, ie after going to the toilet, after having their nappy changed, before meal times, after blowing or touching their noses, after touching animals, after playing outside, when they first arrive at the service and before they go home. Encourage children to use toilet paper and flush the toilet after use.

Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

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 Encourage children to use tissues to wipe their noses and then put their used tissue in the rubbish bin immediately. Encourage children to rinse their mouths well with water after meals. Encourage children to cover their mouths when coughing, sneezing or yawning (and then washing their hands of course!). Talk to children throughout the day about the importance of good personal hygiene. Make sure you use language that is clear and easily understood by them. Encourage children not to share food and to put any dropped food immediately into the bin. All of these practices not only help children develop a sense of what good personal hygiene is but also helps to slow the spread of disease in the service.

Encourage children to wash their hands

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Promoting staffs personal hygiene

How do we make sure that the staff in our work team do role model appropriate personal hygiene behaviours? Just as we role model best practice for the children, we need to role model best practice for our co-workers too. We need to do this every day, not just when we might feel we need to make a point to another staff member about their inappropriate hygiene practices. We can organise staff meetings to explain, discuss and promote ideas and procedures about aspects of personal hygiene. We can collect and share current information and thinking about health. Start saving clippings you see in papers and magazines with relation to personal hygiene and use them to trigger discussions about what should and shouldnt be done!

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Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

Foster that sense of shared responsibility for workplace safety by encouraging co-workers to give each other feedback on their hygiene practices. Remind staff to acknowledge the positive behaviours as well as giving gentle encouragement when they dont practise good hygiene. Create clear procedure sheets or notices and place them near to where tasks are carried out, ie put the steps for an effective nappy change near the nappy-changing bench and the steps to effective hand washing near the wash basins, etc. Ask staff to develop a short newsletter article to share with families about procedures within the service aimed at minimising or eliminating infections. You could also ask staff to put together and present a brief workshop session about an aspect of hygiene. They could then present this best practice workshop to each other at a team meeting focuses on professional development. Ask staff to put together a resource folder on diseases and health care. This needs to be updated regularly.

Activity 4

Strategies for developing hygiene and reducing spread of infection

Organise a workshop for all staff on current hygiene principles or ask some of the staff to research and present a hygiene workshop to each other. Focus on the accreditation principles your team needs to develop over a series of team meetings. Source and purchase resources that can be used to educate staff and children about effective personal hygiene. The Germ Busters Kit produced by Queensland Department of Health is a wonderful resource that would be useful here, also Eceen, the NSW Early Childhood Environmental Education Network, at www.eceen.org.au. Encourage staff to research and suggest strategies for how their work practices and work environment could improve. Re-training of staff may be required. You might discover that the reason why staff often arent wearing gloves is that there is no storage space in the nappy-change area for a supply of gloves.

Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

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 Encourage staff to share some fun programming ideas to develop the childrens self-help skill of hand washing. Staff might share some great stories or songs with each other that they can use with the children. Re-training of staff may be necessary. Ask a creative staff member to develop some attractive posters or signs on hand washing and glove use to be displayed in a prominent place. These will act as reminders to staff throughout the day. Spend time in each room observing staff and children. Give them positive feedback on the improvements you have noticed in their personal hygiene. Continue to monitor and review the hygiene practices of staff and children and the incidence of illness in the service over time to ensure that all staff continue to maintain a safe and healthy environment. Remember that the hygiene practices of children and staff are vital to a quality programme. We can achieve this with consistent role modelling, effective leadership and communication skills and a commitment to best practice for health and safety in our workplace.

Activity 5
Strategies to promote safe workplace practices both in the short term and over a longer period could include: spending adequate time discussing the safe storage of chemicals with the work team. displaying clear notices and posters to reinforce the service procedures and practices near storage areas for hazardous materials. observing staff and verbally commenting on positive behaviours to reinforce appropriate practices. sensitively reminding staff when inappropriate practices are observed. Remember to choose the time and place for these reminders carefully. Nobody wants to be corrected in front of co-workers or family members. providing training opportunities on the storage of hazardous substances for all staff. This training could be accessed through a reputable training organisation or you might even present some in-house training.

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Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

 reviewing the action plan. Check that the new location is working, ie children are unable to access areas where chemicals are stored and that all staff are complying with procedures consistently.

Diploma of Childrens Services: CHCCN511A: Reader LO 9298

NSW DET 2010

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