Megan Gordon
Infection prevention and control
Kate – M3 & D2
Risk Factor (SxL= OR) Overall
Severity (S) Likelihood (L) Risk
Hazards associated with (OR)
the Persons at
Risk 1–9
visit/task/activity
High Med Low High Med Low
(3) (2) (1) (3) (2) (1)
Children X X 6
Lack of knowledge in
general hygiene. Staff
Within this task I am going to complete a risk assessment in relation to infection
prevention and control within a playschool. I will then proceed on to assess how a
risk assessment can contribute to reducing rates of infection within the setting; this
will include a detailed explanation of the five stages of a risk assessment.
Recommended Controls to Be Put In Place to
Risk
Eliminate or Reduce Risk
Staff should closely observe children
1. Of transferring infection ensuring that they do wash their hands after
due to children not they use the toilet.
washing their hands There should be regular lessons to teach
after using the the children how to wash their hands
bathroom. effectively and why they need to wash their
hands.
Staff should inform parents to tell their
2. Germ transferral as a
children not to pick their nose.
result of children
Staff should additionally discipline children if
picking their nose.
they see a child picking their nose.
Staff should attend infection control training
so that they know the importance of a clean
3. Toys not being cleaned environment.
with antibacterial spray All toys should be cleaned with child safety
antibacterial spray (no bleach) after every
play session.
4. Putting toys in their
mouth infecting them Staff should tell children not to put toys in
with harmful bacteria their mouth as other children will be also
(other children play playing with them.
with these toys also).
5. Coughing and Staff and parents should be good role
sneezing without
pg. 1
, Megan Gordon
Infection prevention and control
Kate – M3 & D2
models for the children as children learn by
copying those around them.
If a child does not cover their mouth when
sneezing and coughing they should be
covering their mouth
corrected by the teachers.
Children should be taught to cover their
mouth when they need to through play for
example nursery rhymes with actions.
6. During snack time Staff should distribute the food equally
children will between the plates of the children instead of
contaminate the food in setting it in the middle of the table for all of
the middle of the table the children to touch.
that is shared between Staff should teach children to wash their
all children. hands before and after eating food.
All staff should attend infection, prevention
and control training.
7. Not cleaning up
Staff should know and understand policies
dangerous spillages
and procedures on infection control.
effectively e.g. blood,
Staff should clean up any spillages should
urine
be cleaned up in the quickest most effective
way
All staff should attend infection, prevention
8. Not cleaning the floor and control training.
and table surfaces with Staff should know and understand policies
child safe antibiotic relating to COSHH.
spray. Staff should ensure that all surfaces are
cleaned effectively with antibacterial spray.
A risk assessment is an enquiry into what causes harm to people, the causes of
harm are then discussed and ideas on how to reduce the incident and/ or its severity
are put into place. The aim of risk assessments are to ensure that no one gets hurt
i.e. identifying the risks involved and then taking action to reduce them. Risk
assessments are part of law and so must be carried out to satisfy legal requirements.
There are five steps to a risk assessment; I shall explain this now in relation to the
play school.
The first of the five steps is identifying the risks in relation to infection control within
the setting. Micro-organisms are found virtually everywhere in the natural
environment. Most of these are harmless to humans and do many important jobs
(make medicines). However there are still many that are harmful to human health
(e.g. bacteria from children picking their nose, putting toys in their mouth, staff not
using antibacterial spray to kill harmful bacteria). Furthermore in order for us to
identify the risks we need to know what the sources of infection are. There are four
pg. 2
Infection prevention and control
Kate – M3 & D2
Risk Factor (SxL= OR) Overall
Severity (S) Likelihood (L) Risk
Hazards associated with (OR)
the Persons at
Risk 1–9
visit/task/activity
High Med Low High Med Low
(3) (2) (1) (3) (2) (1)
Children X X 6
Lack of knowledge in
general hygiene. Staff
Within this task I am going to complete a risk assessment in relation to infection
prevention and control within a playschool. I will then proceed on to assess how a
risk assessment can contribute to reducing rates of infection within the setting; this
will include a detailed explanation of the five stages of a risk assessment.
Recommended Controls to Be Put In Place to
Risk
Eliminate or Reduce Risk
Staff should closely observe children
1. Of transferring infection ensuring that they do wash their hands after
due to children not they use the toilet.
washing their hands There should be regular lessons to teach
after using the the children how to wash their hands
bathroom. effectively and why they need to wash their
hands.
Staff should inform parents to tell their
2. Germ transferral as a
children not to pick their nose.
result of children
Staff should additionally discipline children if
picking their nose.
they see a child picking their nose.
Staff should attend infection control training
so that they know the importance of a clean
3. Toys not being cleaned environment.
with antibacterial spray All toys should be cleaned with child safety
antibacterial spray (no bleach) after every
play session.
4. Putting toys in their
mouth infecting them Staff should tell children not to put toys in
with harmful bacteria their mouth as other children will be also
(other children play playing with them.
with these toys also).
5. Coughing and Staff and parents should be good role
sneezing without
pg. 1
, Megan Gordon
Infection prevention and control
Kate – M3 & D2
models for the children as children learn by
copying those around them.
If a child does not cover their mouth when
sneezing and coughing they should be
covering their mouth
corrected by the teachers.
Children should be taught to cover their
mouth when they need to through play for
example nursery rhymes with actions.
6. During snack time Staff should distribute the food equally
children will between the plates of the children instead of
contaminate the food in setting it in the middle of the table for all of
the middle of the table the children to touch.
that is shared between Staff should teach children to wash their
all children. hands before and after eating food.
All staff should attend infection, prevention
and control training.
7. Not cleaning up
Staff should know and understand policies
dangerous spillages
and procedures on infection control.
effectively e.g. blood,
Staff should clean up any spillages should
urine
be cleaned up in the quickest most effective
way
All staff should attend infection, prevention
8. Not cleaning the floor and control training.
and table surfaces with Staff should know and understand policies
child safe antibiotic relating to COSHH.
spray. Staff should ensure that all surfaces are
cleaned effectively with antibacterial spray.
A risk assessment is an enquiry into what causes harm to people, the causes of
harm are then discussed and ideas on how to reduce the incident and/ or its severity
are put into place. The aim of risk assessments are to ensure that no one gets hurt
i.e. identifying the risks involved and then taking action to reduce them. Risk
assessments are part of law and so must be carried out to satisfy legal requirements.
There are five steps to a risk assessment; I shall explain this now in relation to the
play school.
The first of the five steps is identifying the risks in relation to infection control within
the setting. Micro-organisms are found virtually everywhere in the natural
environment. Most of these are harmless to humans and do many important jobs
(make medicines). However there are still many that are harmful to human health
(e.g. bacteria from children picking their nose, putting toys in their mouth, staff not
using antibacterial spray to kill harmful bacteria). Furthermore in order for us to
identify the risks we need to know what the sources of infection are. There are four
pg. 2
