WorkSafe ACT paid official visits to nine childcare centres during November and December, issuing 32 improvement notices for work health and safety breaches.
Work Health and Safety Commissioner, Jacqueline Agius said the visits were part of a proactive campaign to improve the safety culture in childcare centres.
“When our inspectors visited these centres, they found many concerning work health and safety issues,” Ms Agius said.
“Some of these issues, included firefighting equipment not being inspected, electrical equipment which had not been regularly checked and tagged, no safe system of work for staff immunisation (for vaccine preventable diseases), and no dangerous substances register,” she said.
“If these risks aren’t managed properly, there’s the potential for serious injury, not only for staff but others, including children or visitors to these centres.”
Ms Agius said there was always time to prioritise work health and safety, because everyone deserved to work in a safe environment.
“As we start winding down for the end of the year, and families go away for the holidays, child attendances in centres are likely to decrease,” she said.
“This is a timely reminder for childcare centres to take the time to check their work health and safety practices, make sure everything is in order, and make improvements.”
Ms Agius said WorkSafe ACT’s proactive campaign to audit childcare centres was expected to continue until March next year.
