CHSA Health Institute April 28, 2015 FEDERAL REVIEW Environmental Health & Safety: Fears and Tears or Calm and Collected? Cris Cochran Head Start Management Consulting Judith Kunitz Health Services Coordinator – Unity Council Head Start Learning Objectives Participants will: O Identify Environmental Health and Safety priorities, key regulations, and common concerns identified during a review O Describe strategies for a successful Federal Review, utilizing tips from Federal Reviewers and experience from the field Agenda O Welcome And Introductions O Ice Breaker O What’s New O EnvHS Priorities O Key Regulations O Gathering Information O What To Expect O Panel: Environmental Health and Safety O Q and A, Wrap-Up What’s New In The Federal Review Process? O Highest Priority is Safety O Focus on Active Supervision O Life Safety Codes O Hazard Categories O Facilities Safety Checklist Priorities: Environmental Health and Safety O Clean and Safe Classrooms O Active Supervision O Well Maintained Bathrooms O Safe Playgrounds O Hygiene O Medication Administration Safe Environments Related Regulations O HSPPS 1304.53(a) Physical environments and facilities. (7) Grantee and delegate agencies must provide for maintenance, repair, safety, and security of all EHS and HS facilities; (9) Outdoor play areas must be arranged so as to prevent any child from leaving the premises and getting into unsafe and unsupervised areas. Head Start Regulations O 1304.52(i)(1)(iii) Standards of Conduct. No child will be left alone or unsupervised while under care; O 1304.52(g)(5) Staff must supervise outdoor and indoor play areas in such a way children’s safety can easily be monitored and ensured. Head Start Regulations O 1306.30(c) Facilities used by EHS and HS grantees and delegate agencies must comply with State and local licensing requirements. In cases where these licensing standards are less stringent than HS regulations, or where no State or local licensing standards are applicable, agencies are required to assure their facilities are in compliance with the HSPPS related to health and safety found in 1304.53(a). Tipping and Tripping TIPPING HAZARDS O Look above O Consider earthquake hazards O Heavy items on cabinets and high shelves O Check bathrooms TRIPPING HAZARDS O Look down at children’s level O Indoor: cords, area rugs, teacher’s area O Outdoor: hose, door mats O What other items? Levels of Hazards OPotential OImminent Potential Capacity to develop into something in the future; is fixable, easily correctable Imminent An unsafe condition and/or lack of supervision. Something is about to happen. Child is just about ready to hurt himself. Imminent Hazard “Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, physical or emotional harm, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.” Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Reauthorization of 2010 Hazard Quiz Identify The Hazard Level O You’re are completing the daily playground inspection before children arrive and notice some broken glass which wasn’t there yesterday. Hazard Quiz O You notice splinters along a handrail which children use when exiting the building. O While on the playground with children, you notice a climbing chain is loose. You observe a child swinging it, nearly hitting another child’s head. Hazard Quiz O When you stoop to pick up something from the classroom floor, you notice an ant stake (poison) underneath a shelf. O Your supervisor points out that children’s art work is covering the exit route. Hazard Quiz O A child has an epi-pen for a bee sting allergy. Her teacher is out sick and the substitute nor the new assistant teacher know where the epi-pen is kept in the classroom. Neither have been trained on how to administer it. True Or False O On the playground you notice that a large tree in the corner has two new small branches which are 4 feet above the ground. You aren’t concerned because children never go over there and it’s above their eye level anyway. True or False O In the classroom you notice window cleaner, sink scouring powder, and liquid soap on a shelf, in a cabinet, above children’s reach. The cabinet handles have a bungee cord around them, so you figure it is safe. Cleaning Supplies Flammable and other dangerous materials and potential poisons are stored in locked cabinets or storage facilities separate from medications and food. Information Must Back Up Any Safety Concerns O Must be factual information O Substantiated O Not just “what you think”; not subjective O Address at least 2 of 3 modalities O What are modalities?? Monitoring Modalities 1. Observation 2. Document Review 3. Interview Observation O Use your comprehensive tool O Use all senses; close your eyes and listen, What do you hear? What do you smell? O Expand on the tool to observe any other unsafe situation O Identify strengths as well Document Review O Policies and Procedures O Forms, esp. Health and Safety Checklists O Child Health Record; esp. medication O O O O consent & medication log Local or State Requirements Smoke Alarm Testing Schedule Pesticide Spraying Schedule No Smoking Policy Interviews -Digging Deeper -Probing Questions -An Opportunity for Teaching and Learning -Ask “who, what, when, where, why" Interview O Informal interviews O Often used in the monitoring process O Usually individual staff or a pair O Use probing and open-ended questions like ~ What’s the reason? Did you know…..? How do you ….? Can you show me? Do you know the policy? (internal) Do you know the regulation? (external) What Are Key Probing Questions Here? Probing Questions Let’s Practice! Let’s Practice! Hot Spots 1. Bathroom - what specifically? 2. Playground - where? 3. Hazardous Liquids, Cleaning Supplies - what is considered hazardous? 4. Diaper Changing Table - where shouldn’t it be located? Environmental Health and Safety Review Preparation Tips O There is a concern if Reviewer is taking pictures or focusing on O O O O O O O an area What you tell Reviewer is often included in the report notes; don’t hesitate to tell them positive information and strengths Don’t say, “I am just a teacher assistant or substitute.” Be confident; know the answers just as much as a lead teacher It’s OK for staff to not know all the answers but not OK to not know where to find answers Be helpful and resourceful Arrange for a staff escort who knows the site! Be ready to accompany Reviewer to the facility office for answers Prepare principal, school administrative staff, and partners Thank You! Head Start Programs Ensures Children, Families, & Staff Are Safe And Healthy Head Start Programs Prioritize Quality Assurance & Monitoring Head Start Programs are Prepared You Have An Awesome Program! Cris Cochran Head Start Management Consulting [email protected] Judith Kunitz Unity Council Head Start [email protected] Panel of Experts O Nina Paddock, Comprehensive Services Manager & Oscar Munguia, Maintenance & Safety Coordinator, Pacific Clinics Head Start O Sonia Campos, Facility Planning Specialist Volunteers of America Los Angeles O Debi Marsee, Comprehensive Services Manager, Health, Contra Costa Community Services Bureau O Reyna Dominguez, Manager, Child Development Resources, Ventura County HS
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