Indoor and Outdoor Safety

Sun Safety

• How to use the UV index (Environment and Climate Change Canada - ECCC)
• SunSense Program (Canadian Cancer Society)
• Sun Safety (Health Canada)

Extreme Weather

Young children are more sensitive to extreme weather. It is important to have policies for responding to extreme weather events.

• Heat
• Cold
• Air quality and smoke from forest fires. Download our new resource for schools and childcare settings about what to do if there is an air quality event due to forest fire smoke.

Cold Weather Alert Guidelines for Childcare Centres

The Medical Officer of Health issues a Cold Weather Alert when one or more of the following criteria are met:

• Daily predicted low temperature of –15°C without wind chill
• Wind chill reaches the level at which Environment Canada issues a warning for outdoor activity for people in the Middlesex-London area
• Extreme weather conditions, such as blizzard or ice storm

Recommendations:

• Establish a policy and procedure to deal with potential consequences of extreme cold temperatures and winter storms (e.g., power outages, lack of transportation). An emergency kit should be readily available.
• Plan to reduce the amount of time children spend outside when the temperature reaches -15°C or colder, with or without wind chill (ECCC). Children should be kept indoors when the temperature reaches minus 25°C with or without wind chill. Some people are more susceptible to cold, particularly children, and some medications can increase a person’s susceptibility to cold also.
• Ensure that children are dressed warmly, covering exposed skin: insulated boots, winter weight coats, mittens, hats and neck warmers.
• Change wet clothing and footwear immediately (wet clothing chills the body rapidly).
• Staff should be able to recognize and treat symptoms of cold injuries: frostbite and hypothermia (ECCC)

Winter Safety for Children

Children enjoy playing outdoors throughout the year. During cold months, children often do not realize how cold they are becoming. Instead of going inside to warm up, they stay outside to continue playing.

Care providers can reduce risk of hypothermia and frostbite:

• Dress children in layers of clothing:
  • If they get too warm while playing, they can take off one layer at a time
• Have children wear hats that cover the top of their heads and ears (toques)
  • most body heat is lost through the head
• Young children should take frequent breaks indoors
  • children get cold faster than adults
  • very important for infants as they are not moving
• Children should wear neck warmers instead of scarves and mitten clips instead of mittens on strings
  • scarves and strings can be a choking hazard
  • hoods on coats should also fit snugly around the face
• Children should have extra clothing to wear in case they get wet
• Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia and move child inside if any symptoms:
  • Frostbite: whitening of the affected skin especially fingers, nose and ears
  • Hypothermia: shivering and loss of coordination (stiffness)
  • Complaining of pain, numbness, burning or fatigue, confusion, slurring of speech
• Children should not eat snow. It may contain dirt, pollution or other contaminants.
• Teach children not to lick metal objects. The tongue can freeze to the metal and cause injury.
• Tell children to go indoors when they get cold.

Recreational Water Safety and Inspections

Recreational water facilities can present risks to health and safety. Inspections of public pools, spas, wading pools and splash pads are conducted regularly by Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) to ensure that they meet the requirements of Ontario Public Pools Regulation (Reg. 565)6 under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7. PHIs work closely with the owners/operators of these facilities to help prevent and reduce illness and injuries related to recreational water use.

Keep Children Safe in and Around Water

• Educators should be within arms’ reach of children when children are in and around water.
• Young children should wear a life jacket or personal flotation device around water.
• Walking (not running) prevents slips and falls.
• Swim diapers should be used instead of disposable diapers.
• Footwear that provides good grip in a splash pad should be worn to avoid slips and falls as well as cuts and scrapes.
• Small portable wading pools should be drained daily, and stored upside down when not in use.

Playground Area

Fencing:

• outside play area must be fenced
• keep fence in good repair
• Fencing requirements should be considered as part of the Child Care Centre’s design and compliant with applicable Municipal Bylaws (i.e. City of London Bylaw No. P.S.-5, Swimming Pool Fence and Pool Regulation Bylaw)

Check for Hazards:

• check daily for:
  • animal droppings
  • broken glass or sharp objects
  • tripping hazards
  • standing water
• play and deck surfaces (nails or screws, rotten wood, splinters)
• thorns or branches below 150 cm. (5 ft.)
• dead or decaying limbs capable of falling in playground area
• roots that create tripping hazards in pathways
• sand suitable for child play (cover sandboxes at night)

Any outdoor play space, fixed play structure or surfacing under those structures that is constructed or renovated on or after August 29, 2016 meets the requirements set out in the Canadian Standards Association standard CAN/CSA-Z614-14 and is inspected by staff on a regular basis. If assistance is needed, external playground inspectors may be hired.