Health and Safety Policy Essay

General statement of policy This policy is to provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions and equipment for all our employees, and a safe environment for all children to learn and develop in. We wish to develop and promote a strong health and safety provision within the nursery for the benefit of all staff, children, parents and visitors. The policy will be kept up to date, particularly as the business changes in nature and size, and will be revised annually, or as and when necessary. Aims and objectives The aim of this policy statement is to ensure that all reasonably practical steps are taken to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all persons using the premises. To achieve this we agree to comply with the following objectives: †¢ Establish and maintain a safe and healthy environment throughout the nursery. †¢ Establish and maintain safe working procedures amongst staff and children †¢ Ensure information, instruction and supervision is provided for all employees where necessary. †¢ Ensure the safe handling and use of substances. †¢ Ensure all employees are competent to do their role and to provide adequate training where needed. †¢ Maintain a healthy and safe place of work and safe entry and exit from it. †¢ An effective policy and procedure is in place covering fire and other emergencies and for evacuating the nursery premises. The evacuation procedure is practiced on a regular basis. †¢ Follow the regulations of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and any other relevant legislation. †¢ Maintain a safe working environment for pregnant workers with appropriate risk assessments undertaken where necessary. We believe the nursery as a whole is a low risk but to maintain the maximum protection for children, staff, parents/carers and visitors we comply with the following: †¢ Ensure the entrances and exits from the building, including fire exits remain clear at all times. †¢ Regularly checks are carried out on the premises and the individual rooms any faults or defects are reported to management as soon as possible. †¢ Ensure all staff are aware of the fire procedures and they participate in regular fire drills. †¢ Ensure that all members of staff are aware of the procedures in case of accidents. †¢ Protective gloves and clothes are worn when appropriate by all staff to control and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. †¢ The nursery has a strict no smoking policy in place. †¢ Any contractor working on the premises must seek permission from the owner prior to commencement of work. †¢ No inappropriate jewellery to be worn. One pair of stud earrings and wedding/engagement rings are acceptable. †¢ Dress code is smart black trousers no jeans, linen trousers or combat trousers and practical with sensible black shoes/small heeled boots and all hair must be tied back at all times. †¢ No running inside the premises. †¢ All electrical sockets are protected by safety plugs. †¢ All cleaning materials/toilet cleaner are out of reach of children and are kept in cupboards off the ground in the utility room. †¢ Appropriate clothing is worn when working in the kitchen. †¢ Peanuts and any other foods that can cause an allergic reactions are not allowed in the nursery †¢ Telephone calls must be received before 7am if a member of staff is not well enough to attend work. This must be to a senior member of staff, Owner, Manager, Deputy Manager or Assistant Manager. †¢ All staff know where the First Aid box is and know who the appointed First Aider is †¢ Children are supervised at all times by qualified staff  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Student are not left unsupervised at any time.