Daycare and Nursery Inspections

Organizations that have nurseries and toddler areas onsite must be fully aware of the risks associated with caring for young children. A variety of steps must be taken to minimize those risks with proper safety and security measures. Ultimately, the organization must assume full responsibility for the well-being of every child entrusted to the organization.

Any area in the organization that is used for a nursery or toddler care should go through inspections on a weekly basis to identify potential hazards. Modifications to the area also may be necessary so it provides children with the safest and most secure environment possible.

To inspect a nursery for existing hazards, the following items should be reviewed:

Room Set Up

• Bottle warming.
  • Have procedures in place for warming bottles to protect children from burn injuries.
• Diapering areas.
  • Keep diapering areas separate from children’s play areas.
• Doors.
  • Equip doors to closets, hallways, and other rooms with a lock.
• Drapery and blind cords.
  • Keep drapery and blind cords out of reach of cribs and children, as they a pose strangulation and entanglement hazard.
• Furniture.
  • Any dresser, shelves, or similar equipment should be appropriately anchored to the wall to prevent them from accidentally tipping over.
  • Any lower drawers of dressers, file cabinets, or similar furniture should be equipped with appropriate latches to keep children from being able to open them.
• First aid kit.
  • Keep a kit in an accessible location;
  • Inventory the kit on a regular basis; and
  • Keep a log of when and who conducted the inventory.
• Hot water temperature.
  • Periodically test hot water temperature to ensure that the temperature does not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Keep a log of when and who tested the water.
• Plastic bags.
  • Remove all plastic bags from the nursery area.
• Poison hazards.
  • Store potentially dangerous products, including medicines and cleaning supplies, in original, labeled containers in locked cabinets.
• Stairways.
  • Properly protect access to stairways.

Electrical

• Carbon monoxide detector.
  • Install a properly functioning UL listed carbon monoxide detector at a minimum of one per floor.
  • Refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations for installation instructions.
• Outlets.
  • Install Ground Fault Circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets on any outlets within three feet of a water source.
  • To help prevent electrocution, equip all electrical outlets with outlet covers.
  • Be sure the outlet covers cannot be easily removed by children; and that they are large enough so that children cannot choke on them.
• Smoke detectors.
  • Install a properly functioning UL listed smoke detector in each room; and test the detectors on a regular basis.
  • Keep a log of when and who tested the smoke detectors.
• Television and audiovisual equipment.
  • Properly secure television and audiovisual equipment on movable carts with straps or mounting brackets.
• Wires and Cords.
  • Keep all loose hanging wires and appliance cords out of children’s reach.

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