Electrical sockets#

Equipment, premises and facilities must be regularly checked for hazards to children. This includes electrical sockets. They should be:

• out of reach of children
• adequately shielded
• of a suitable design to limit danger to children – 'safety' electrical sockets are safe even if unguarded.

Because children may not have 'safety' sockets at home, it may be best to shield all sockets, to prevent confusion that could create dangers for children at home. Discuss this with your regional Ministry of Education office.

Regional offices

Ideally, some sockets should be installed high up – about 1.4 metres above the floor – so electrical items can sit on shelves without the cords causing clutter.

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, regulation 46 – New Zealand Legislation

HS108 Hazard and risk management

First aid kits#

You must have at least 1 first aid kit for your service. The number of kits you have will depend on the layout of the service and the number and age of children. At least 1 medium or large first aid kit should be available for every 50 children.

First aid kits need to be:

• clearly labelled as a first aid kit, to make them easy to identify.
• easily accessed by adults, but inaccessible to children – many companies sell large cabinets that have safety latches and can be attached to the wall out of children’s reach.

Having at least 1 fixed cabinet will mean first aid equipment stays in a predictable place. 

First aid kit contents#

The kit(s) should have a broad range of supplies that help adults treat children, as needed. For example:

• disposable gloves
• sterile saline solution, or some other means of cleansing wounds
• safety pins, bandage clips or tape, or some other means of holding dressings in place
• sterile wound dressings, including sticking plasters
• rolls of stretchable bandage
• triangular bandage, or some other means of immobilising an upper limb injury
• scissors
• tweezers
• cold pack
• first aid manual.

The first aid kit should also contain phone numbers for the National Poisons Centre and Healthline.

National Poisons Centre freephone (NZ only): 0800 POISON or 0800 764 766

Healthline freephone (NZ only): 0800 611 116. 

Have a clear system in place to show that your first aid kit or kits are well stocked, with items promptly replenished and replaced.

It is a good idea to have a 'grab bag' or backpack that contains essential first aid equipment to take to an accident site if necessary. Some centres also use this type of bag for taking on excursions or outings. Remember to make sure it is inaccessible to children when not in use.

See the relevant regulation and licensing criterion.

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, regulation 45 – New Zealand Legislation

PF123 First aid kit

Telephone#

Your service must have a telephone that allows quick contact with emergency services, easy 2-way communication with parents, and lets adults make necessary calls for the service. This could be:

• a cellular device
• landline
• cordless phone
• a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

Cellphones are useful for outings, providing an alternative emergency number for parents and are useful if the centre needs to be evacuated. In an emergency, it may be helpful if families' contact numbers are saved into the mobile phone.

See the telephone licensing criterion.

PF110 Telephone