Early years settings must follow common sense as well as the law on safety matters, says Mary Evans
Accidents can occur even in the best-run nurseries, but with an effective health and safety policy, backed up by a thorough staff training programme, the risks of serious illness or injury can be greatly reduced.
If nursery staff are ever tempted to complain about the restrictive bureaucracy of the house rules covering health and safety, they should remember that the laws were introduced to ensure that employers protected their workers.
According to a spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Health and Safety at Work Act and subsequent related regulations require employers to safeguard the people working for them. The law also requires employers to ensure the safety of members of the public who may be affected by their activities, which covers children at nurseries and their parents when they visit the nursery.
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