Week 1 Blog
- Identify at least five potentially hazardous situations/safety threats common to your age group.
- For each of the hazardous situations or safety threats:
- Summarize specific safety policies that apply to these situations/threats.
- Describe measures that should be taken to prevent and/or deal with these situations/threats.
- Indicate what families can do to ensure the safety of the child at home.
Though I have experience at all levels from infant to Preschool, I am focusing on Safety Threats most common with toddlers. Toddlers probably represent the developmental group with the most potential for unsafe practices. They are at a cognitive level that allows them new ways of thinking and solving problems, but they do not understand cause and effect. The five potentially hazardous situations or safety threats common to toddlers that I chose to focus on are:
1. Chocking Hazard: Little one (toddlers) are always placing thins in their mouth's to explore and see what the object is all about. All daycare providers and families should expect this and be prepared, because being prepared will help reduce the risk of a child chocking.
2. Falling Hazard: As a toddler begins to walk more, injury due to falling increases. The daycare provider, alone with the parents, have to be conscience of the child’s developmental level in regards to their ability to move and safety risks.
3. Environmental Hazard: These hazards are found in the condition of equipment. A daily inspection of the classroom and outdoor equipment is required by the state of Georgia for day cares and also should be a habit of parents, as well.Safety latches, child gates and outlet covers should always be used.
4. Poison Hazard: Toddlers like to stretch their limits and test their environment, which they now have the physical ability to accomplish. They like to explore places that may not be in view. Poison and chemicals that are kept in cabinets, drawers, or on shelves are a major risk for this age group. Toddlers need careful, constant monitoring and potential hazards need to be constantly anticipated. The environment should be modified a needed.
5. Fire Hazards: For me this is a real big deal, that goes really deep and has great detail. Children in general are very curious and do not know what it means to keep things away from heaters, and they do not get the concept of staying away from hot appliances.
For these concerns there are many measures that can be taken to prevent injuries and ensure the safety of the children in our care. Here are some ways we can ensure safety:
1. Make sure there are outlet covers on all the plugs in the classrooms, in the homes of children at young ages. This will prevent children from having access to the plugs and causing harm to themselves or others.
2. Make sure that cords are covered so the children can’t be prone to grabbing them or wanting to play with them.
3. Make sure things are kept away from heaters, ensuring the heaters have covers so children cannot get burned by the heaters.
4. Make sure children are not around appliances that are hot and can harm them.
5. Make sure that bookshelves are mounted against walls so they cannot fall over.
6. Make sure children are not trying to climb onto bookshelves and tables in which they could fall off of or knock them over on themselves.
7. Keep all hazardous chemicals out of the reach of children be it at home, or in the classrooms. Do not use these chemicals while the children are present.
As daycare providers and parents, If we follow these polices and procedures we can ensure that our children and the children in our care are in a safe environment. We must make sure that a child is safe in our care for ourselves as well as our parents. As a parent, I would no want to leave my child in someone’s care if they have safety concerns. Also, working with the families to follow these same policies and procedures will ensure that the children are safe at home as well. Having a good repore between parents and teachers is the key to a successful parent, teacher relationship.
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