Published 3 Feb 2023
What is a Preschool Safety Check?
A preschool safety check is an inspection conducted regularly in preschools to help ensure that the classrooms and the whole educational facility is free from health and safety hazards and that it is an ideal venue for early childhood education.
Preschool Safety Inspection Checklist
This preschool safety checklist can help educators and facility managers ensure that the educational institution is safe for preschoolers. Using this checklist on the SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) mobile app, you can check the following:
- Fire extinguishers are in good working condition and are in their proper location
- Check if the emergency staff are present and that first aid kits are sufficient
- Emergency exits are free of obstructions and signs are visible
- Hallways have proper lighting and free of trip hazards
- Classrooms are free of harmful chemicals and that substances are in proper containers, labeled, and away from children’s reach
- Ensure that the entire facility is safe for preschoolers and staff
In this article
- What is a Preschool Safety Checklist?
- Five Key Points to Keep Preschools Safe
- Powerful tool for conducting preschool safety checks
- Download Free & Customizable Preschool Safety Checklists
What is a Preschool Safety Checklist?
Sometimes called the preschool classroom safety checklist, a preschool safety checklist is a tool used when conducting health and safety inspections of preschools to catch and correct any hazards that may expose preschoolers and teaching staff to health and safety risks.
Conducting regular preschool safety checks using daycare forms and school safety checklists not only can help maintain a safe environment that is conducive to learning but also can help keep the school compliant with safety regulations.
This article will briefly discuss the following:
- Five key points to keep preschools safe
- Powerful tool for conducting preschool safety checks
- Free preschool safety checklists you can download and use!
Five Key Points to Keep Preschools Safe
Maintain the safety of preschools for students and staff by following these 5 key points:
Conduct risk assessment and be aware of health hazards
- When possible, conduct a risk assessment of the preschool to identify all health hazards and risks that the preschoolers and the staff can get exposed to.
- Pollutants such as cigarette smoke and other substances commonly found in homes such as air fresheners cannot be allowed within preschools. These substances can trigger allergic reactions or asthma attacks.
- Bags and other personal belongings of teachers and staff should be kept in a secure area and away from the reach of children to avoid access to items that may cause injury.
Implement safety measures
- Implement safety measures that eliminate or lessen risks to acceptable levels.
- Potentially harmful chemicals such as bleach and other substances should be properly labeled and kept in secure areas away from children.
- Fire extinguishers should be enough for the preschool and they should be secured in place, visible and readily available in case of an emergency.
Conduct regular safety checks
- To help ensure that risks remain under control, it is advisable to conduct regular checks as a safety measure to avoid incidents in the preschool.
- Regular safety checks can discover risks that can cause incidents if overlooked or unchecked.
- Conducting regular checks can also help preschools proactively prepare the institution for checks conducted by regulatory bodies for safety and licensing.
Stay updated with new risks and act accordingly
- New health and safety hazards arise from time to time and it pays to be aware of these hazards that can put the preschool’s safety at risk.
- Conducting new risk assessments when there are changes to be made in the preschool can help catch previously unforeseen hazards.
- Updating existing preschool safety checklists accordingly can help inspectors cover all areas of concern and make informed decisions such as taking corrective actions.
Get the buy-in of parents in maintaining the safety of the preschool
- Sustaining a culture of safety goes well beyond the facilities of the preschool and having the buy-in and full cooperation of parents when it comes to keeping the preschool safe makes it easier to foster a safe environment for the children.
Powerful tool for conducting preschool safety checks
Why use SafetyCulture?
Conducting regular preschool safety checks is crucial in maintaining the safety of children under the care of preschools. SafetyCulture is a powerful mobile inspection app that can help facility managers and educators maintain the safety of preschools by taking photos for added context of safety hazards found. Inspectors can become more proactive in conducting inspections through scheduled reminders and they can also take immediate corrective action by assigning tasks according to the hazards found.
Download Free & Customizable Preschool Safety Checklists
Daily Childcare Safety Checklist
Use this childcare safety checklist to ensure that the childcare facility is safe by conducting daily checks before students arrive. Check all possible sources of hazards for preschoolers and be proactive in taking corrective action. All SafetyCulture checklists can be customized to fit the needs of your organization.
School Cleaning and Disinfecting Checklist (CDC)
Maintain the cleanliness of your preschool and help prevent the spread of disease caused by a lack of disinfection of surfaces.
School Inspection Checklist (COVID-19)
Stay updated with the latest announcements for school openings and closings and keep your preschoolers safe from the pandemic while they’re within the facility using this school inspection checklist for COVID-19.
