As a parent, you will want to ensure the safety of your child. In many instances, this can lead to parents being over-protective which can be detrimental in the long term. Of course, you also want your child to have fun and enjoy their young lives. After all, it is the one time in their life when they have no responsibilities.
To facilitate this most parents have to find a balance between keeping children safe and allowing them to explore the world around them and become better people. This can be even harder when you send your child to childcare and they spend hours out of sight.
That’s why you must verify the care the facility is offering and are comfortable with it before you leave your child there. Part of this will mean assessing their outside safety controls.
These can be more complicated in childcare as there will be several children playing together, effectively increasing the likelihood of an accident.
The Flooring
Children are liable to fall. It can be when running, when playing with each other, or when using play equipment, such as swings or even bikes. Whenever they fall they will end up on the ground which is why the best childcare facilities have rubber playground flooring.
This reduces the impact for a child as the flooring absorbs much of the force, reducing the likelihood of your child being injured. If the childcare centre doesn’t have rubber playground flooring you should look elsewhere.
Containment
Another key part of keeping children safe outdoors is containment. Most people think about fences and door locks to prevent unwanted or unannounced people from entering the premises. However, it is also important to think about how children are contained to prevent them from wandering into areas of the playground where they shouldn’t be.
Play areas need to be enclosed with fences that will prevent children from leaving. But, if there are any electrical appliances in the vicinity these also need to be fenced around, preventing the children from accidentally touching them.
Alongside this, you need to consider any water sources or water play areas. These also need to be fenced to separate them from the main playground and ensure children don’t accidentally drown.
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Monitoring
Children can get into areas where they shouldn’t be surprisingly quickly because they are naturally curious that’s why every childcare facility should always have staff monitoring the children, whether playing inside or outside. It is essential to comply with state regulations regarding the number of adults that must be present. This minimizes the risk of injury.
First Aid Training
Even when you take every possible precaution children can still injure themselves. By using the appropriate safety measures the injury should be minor. But, regardless of what the injury is you’ll need to have staff trained in first aid on hand. This will help them deal with an issue or keep the child stable while waiting for an ambulance.
Parents are likely to check that there is staff with first aid training.
Regular Inspections
Having the safety measures in place is great but they still need to be checked regularly. For example, if you have installed a rubber playground floor then you will still need to visually inspect it to ensure it is in good condition.
The same is true for any play equipment, it must be inspected to ensure there are no loose or missing nuts and bolts, etc.
Positioning
Childcare centres also need to consider the position of playground equipment, especially if there are metal elements. These will become hot in the sun and can potentially damage children’s hands. You need to consider the position of the sun and position the equipment accordingly. As a general rule metal slides should face north.
Be Mindful of Ropes
There are several reasons why you may attach a rope to a piece of equipment, most likely to demonstrate something. Never leave them attached as they are a choking hazard.
Equally, all equipment should be anchored down and any protruding parts covered with safety caps and, if necessary, foam.
All it takes is a little common sense and the playground becomes a safe and fun area for children.
