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