Windsor Montessori Policies

Risk Identification and Management Policy

 

References:

Licensing Criteria: HS108, a hazard identification and management system that is consistent with the requirements of the Health and Safety Workplace Act 2015, but goes beyond consideration of significant hazards to employees to include all hazards to tamariki/children.

 

Te Whāriki:

Mana Atua/Well-being - Goal 3: Tamariki/children experience an environment where they are kept safe from harm.

 

Purpose:

The purpose of this operational policy is to keep tamariki and adults safe by ensuring we have a mechanism to assess and address environmental hazards in an ongoing manner.

 

Statement of Intent:

Windsor Montessori believes that the health and safety of all tamariki is of paramount importance. We make our setting a safe and healthy place for all tamariki, parents/whānau/caregivers, and kaiako by assessing and minimising the hazards and risks to enable the tamariki to thrive in a healthy and safe environment.

 

Definitions:
Hazard: A situation or thing with the potential to cause death, injury or illness.

Risk: The likelihood that death, injury or illness might occur when exposed to a hazard.

Risk Assessment: taking note of aspects of our environment and activities that could cause harm, either to ourselves or to others, and deciding what needs to be done to prevent that harm, making sure this is adhered to.

 

This policy is based on the five steps below:

1. Identification of a risk:

Where is it and what is it?

1. Who is at risk:

Kaiako, tamariki, parents/whānau/caregivers, visitors.

1. Assessment as to whether the level of a risk is high, medium, low.

This takes into account both the likelihood of it happening, as well as the possible impact if it did.

1. Control measures to reduce/eliminate risk:

What will we need to do, or ensure others will do, in order to reduce that risk?

1. Monitoring and review:

How will we know if what we have said is working, or is thorough enough? If it is not working, it will need to be amended, or maybe there is a better solution.

 

Procedures:

• Kaiako will check daily for and note hazards and risks inside and outside, in relation to our premises and activities using the Daily Hazard Checklist.

• An action plan will be developed that specifies any action required, the timeframe for action and the person responsible for the action.

• Kaiako will regularly consult with each other about any hazards that have been identified. Health and Safety issues will be a regular agenda item at staff meetings.   

• Any cause for concern is recorded in the Hazard & Risk Register

The Hazard and Risk and Identification Register includes but is not limited to:

• Cleaning agents, medicines, poisons, and other hazardous materials

• Electrical sockets and appliances

• Hazards present in the kitchen

• Vandalism, dangerous objects, and foreign materials (e.g. broken glass, animal droppings)

• Equipment faults

• Poisonous plants

• Bodies of water.

Hazard and Risk Register - We maintain a Hazard and Risk Register that contains:

• A brief description of the hazard

• The date the hazard was identified

• The risk(s) created by the hazard

• The risk assessment – whether the risk can be eliminated, isolated, or minimised

• What actions need to be taken to eliminate, isolate, or minimise each risk

• Who is responsible for overseeing the action

• When the action and risk are to be reviewed next.

Accident/Incident:

Accident/Incident and Hazard records are analysed to identify whether the accident/incident could have been prevented and whether a trend is emerging that the preschool needs to respond to.  Consideration and review of the Hazard and Risk Register is undertaken once a term.

 

Review:

Date:

Signed:

Consultation: