Download Dealing with Infectious Diseases Procedure

Dealing with Infectious Diseases Procedure
N.B. Darlington Public School Preschool operates in accordance with the following guidelines;
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services
National Regulations 2011 and the Preschool Handbook
The Education and Care Services National Regulations: Regulations 77(2), 88, 168(2)(c)
Preschool appendix to DoE Infection Control Procedures 2014
Rationale
Educators work to ensure the safety and good health of every child. This procedure refers to
the responsibilities of staff and families in the prevention and control of infection and the
process of dealing with the contraction of infectious disease.
Procedure
Hand washing
1. Children are required to wash their hands at regular intervals throughout the preschool day.
These times are outlined below;
o upon arrival at preschool before play
o after packing away toys/activities
o before and after morning tea and lunch breaks
o after going to the bathroom
o after patting or touching animals
o after coughing, sneezing or wiping their nose
o before and after using play dough
2. Adults are also required to wash their hands at the same regular intervals throughout the
day, but more, including;
o before and after assisting children with toileting
o before and after administering first aid or medication
o before and after preparing or handling food
o after wiping a child's nose
o after coming into contact with bodily fluids
o before and after applying sunscreen
3. Children are taught hand washing procedures at the start of the year and reminded
throughout each day of the importance of this hygiene practice.
4. Posters are displayed in the bathroom and kitchen areas as a visual prompt to remind
children and staff of the correct hand washing procedures.
5. Staff model correct hand washing practices at the appropriate times and monitor children
throughout the day.
6. Single use paper towel is used to ensure an avoidance of cross contamination.
Toileting
7. Parents have the responsibility of toilet training, however at preschool age children are still
developing toileting habits, so it is appropriate for staff to support parents during this
process. Parents are encouraged to inform staff of any toileting difficulties.
8. If a child has a soiling or wetting accident, educators are to wash hands, wear gloves and
assist the child as best they can. Soiled or wet clothing should be double bagged and stored
in the locked laundry. Where possible empty contents of soiled clothing into the toilet.
Parents are to be notified upon collection and are able to retrieve the bag of soiled clothing
to take home. NB. Parents are asked at the beginning of the year, to ensure spare clothes
are available in the child’s bag. If there are no spare clothes children will be dressed in
clothing available at the preschool. If children attend Aftercare, double bagged clothes are
given to the Aftercare provider to be returned to the parents/caregivers when they collect
their children.
9. Gloves should be placed in a bag, sealed and placed in a bin/container with a removable
liner.
10. Posters are displayed in the bathroom eating areas as a visual prompt to remind children
and staff of the correct toileting procedures. Encouraging children to be independent in
these areas is essential and staff should model and teach appropriate hygiene practices.
11. We have shower facilities in both bathrooms of our preschool in case the need arises for
showering a child due to soiling. If a child enrols in the preschool who has a medical
condition or disability and wears nappies, a bin for items soiled with bodily fluids must be
used and stored in the locked laundry, it will be emptied and cleaned according to health
guidelines.
Cleaning
12. Disinfectant will be stored in the locked chemical cupboard in the kitchen and used for
cleaning where appropriate and weekly routine. All table tops are cleaned with a blue cloth
and soapy water mixture before and after each session. Mops and buckets are colour coded.
Red for the toilet/bathroom and blue for the remainder of the linoleum flooring. General
cleaning colour is green.
13. Educators monitor toilet area and clean the bathroom after toileting mishaps. All tables are
cleaned after craft activities with the above mentioned mixture.
14. DoE preschools have contracted cleaners who clean the floors and bathrooms daily. More
extensive cleaning is conducted during school holidays, such as cleaning the rafters and
windows of our preschool.
15. Soft toys, dress up clothing, puzzles, books, sand equipment, tables and chairs and indoor
equipment are cleaned regularly to reduce the spread of infection.
Sandpit
16. The sand pit is checked daily (each morning) to remove any foreign objects or
contamination.
17. The sandpit should be kept within 100mm of the top edge and renewed as necessary and
cleaned periodically. (Cleaning can be achieved through a number of methods which are
documented in the Preschool Handbook)
Infectious Disease Outbreak
18. NEW Immunisation rules for preschools – All children MUST be immunised before being
allowed to enrol in our Preschool. The Medicare immunisation schedule should be
presented to the front office at time of enrolment. “Blue books” are NOT accepted.
EXCEPTION – If in the case of a Medical or Conscientious objection to immunisation, a form
stating the reasons for the objection must be completed by a General Practitioner and
presented to the front office.
19. If a child is suspected of having an infectious disease whilst at preschool, the child's parents
will be contacted to collect their child from preschool. The child will be isolated from other
children, made comfortable and supervised by a staff member until they are collected.
20. Some infectious diseases require children to be excluded from attending preschool (these
exclusion periods are outlined in the NSW Health Guidelines and Staying Healthy Guide 5th
Edition).
21. If a child contracts vaccine-preventable disease, the principal should be notified and if
necessary the principal will report this to the nearest public health unit.
22. In the event of an outbreak of an infectious disease, all families will be notified. An infectious
diseases notice will be displayed in the preschool and a fact sheet sent home and/or emails.
This fact sheet will outline the symptoms, treatments and exclusion periods of the infectious
disease.
23. All families of children who are not immunised (conscientious objectors or not immunised
for medical reasons) will be notified immediately of an infectious disease outbreak.
24. The following website provides quick access to infectious diseases fact sheets for families
when require;. http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/default.aspx
Evaluation
All procedures are followed carefully to reduce the likelihood of the spread of infection. We
are ensuring "Each child's health needs are supported (Element 2.2.1)", "Effective hygiene
practices are promoted and implemented (Element 2.1.3)" and "Steps are taken to control
the spread of infectious diseases and to manage injuries and illness, in accordance with
recognised guidelines (Element 2.1.4)."
Sources: All DPS Preschool procedures are based on information provided in the following
documents;
• The Preschool Handbook
• The Early Childhood Code of Ethics.
• National Quality Standard
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DoE Policies and procedures
Darlington Preschool's Philosophy
Staying Healthy Guide 5th Edition
Review
Management and staff will monitor and review the effectiveness of this policy at regular
intervals throughout the year. Darlington Public School Preschool's Procedures must be
reviewed and updated every 12 months. Due for review in June 2017.