Understand The Importance Of Health And Safety In Early Years Essay

The early years setting carry out health and safety regulations from before children enter to after the last child leaves and throughout this time in between. Early years practitioners must be aware of health and safety procedures, when they must be carried out, why they are carried out and the result from doing so in order to complete numerous risk assessments. Health and safety policies of the setting are written around multiple legislations and acts to ensure staff follow laws practically and precisely. As soon as staff members enter the premises, bags are locked away so children cannot reach the contents that are potentially harmful such as paracetamol, deodorants and beauty products. Daily risk assessments are carried out such as making

Such laws includes the Health And Safety At Work Act 1974, The Management Of Health And Safety At Work Regulations 1999 and The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. These acts require risk assessments to be carried out, emergency procedures to be put in place, staff to be aware of how to lift heavy equipment correctly and prevent the spread of infection through the use of protective clothing. Implementing health and safety means looking after practitioners as well as the children present; The Workplace Regulations 1992 ensures that staff are aware of the number of breaks they are entitled to, the level of lighting required, toilet arrangements and the provision of water. The Health And Safety Regulations 1981, Regulatory Reform Order 2005, COSHH and RIDDOR explain how all incidents involving health and safety must be recorded, that a first aid box must be provided with trained staff available, hazardous products must be managed in ways that keep children safe and that early years practitioners should be assigned to carry out certain risk assessments of specific sections of health and safety regulations. The Food Handling Regulations 2006 and The Food Hygiene Regulations 2006 expresses how the setting should care for the kitchen and ways to prevent contamination as well as clarifying that food preparation areas must be kept clean, food must be