Home Based Childcare Risk Assessment

Course Code|Course Title|Assignment No. and Name | DS31|Diploma in Home-Based Childcare Unit 1|2a Keeping children safe and healthy| This is a Risk Assessment of a domestic setting to be used for childminding, the children will have access to the following rooms/areas: Hallway/Stairs Downstairs Toilet Dining Room Kitchen Lounge Bedroom Garden Possible hazards and risks for each room/area are detailed below: 1. Hallway/Stairs – Access to the stairs, risk of falling. 2. Downstairs Toilet – Risk of chemical poisoning (bleach and cleaning chemicals); access to contaminated water from the toilet bowl. 3.Dining Room – Risk of shock from electrical sockets; radiators that may get very hot to the touch; cupboards with breakable items inside. 4. Kitchen – Fire and burn hazards from the cooker; cupboards containing cleaning chemicals; flexes from appliances and appliances themselves are a hazard. 5. Lounge – Electrical sockets; radiators; wires and cables fro m the TV are visible, young children could play with them/trip on them/get an electrical shock or worse; clear glass patio doors; a rug that could pose a trip or slip hazard. 6. Bedroom – Electrical sockets; radiator; windows with openings children could reach. . Garden – Sheds with gardening equipment (such as a lawnmower and shears) and chemicals. It is necessary to carry out the following measures to minimise/overcome these hazards: 1. Hallway/Stairs – Install safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs. 2. Downstairs Toilet – Remove and lock away all chemicals; install a toilet lock to prevent toddlers being able to access the toilet bowl. 3. Dining Room – Fit socket covers to all accessible electrical sockets; install childproof locks on all accessible cupboards; fit radiator covers to prevent burns. 4.Kitchen – Install a safety gate; install childproof locks to all accessible cupboards that may contain chemicals or breakable items ; keep plastic bags out of sight and reach; fix safety film to the glass door; keep all appliances and flexes pushed to the back of surfaces (toaster, microwave, kettle); keep a fire blanket in a sensible place in easy reach in emergencies. 5. Lounge – Fit socket covers to all accessible electrical sockets; fit radiator covers; apply an anti-slip underlay to the rug; tidy the TV cables out of reach and sight; apply stickers at child eye level on the glass patio doors to prevent children running into them. . Bedroom – Fit socket covers; radiator covers; ensure window locks are always used to prevent children falling out. 7. Garden – Separate outdoor play items from gardening equipment/chemicals in the shed, keeping dangerous items out of reach; ensure children are always supervised when accessing the outdoor play equipment in the shed. Other Measures to include: anti-slam device to internal doors, fitting locks to all rooms children are not allowed access to and testing fire alarms on a regular basis.