Riskequip – is your centre equipped against risk?

From the car park to the playground, there are a range of risks that a child care centre faces. Managing these risks helps to maintain a safe environment for parents, children and staff. Now Guild Insurance has launched an online tool to help centres in this regard, Riskequip – a dynamic risk management resource for child care centres.

Child care centres can now access risk management guidance from Guild in one easy-to-use website at www.riskequip.com.au/childcare. The site consolidates the range of risk management materials developed by Guild in conjunction with its partnering child care associations.

Your Risks

Riskequip highlights the various areas of risk that centres commonly encounter. For instance, in the Supervision section, you can find information on common exposures to risk in the child care environment in areas of:

• Climbing & Playground Equipment
• Centre Fixtures & Fittings
• Food & Other Allergies
• Children & Animal Interaction

An awareness of such risks, helps centres to maintain effective supervision of the children's environments, and helps to reduce the likelihood of accidents and injuries to children.

There is also information on occupational health and safety, public liability risks, security and building protection and dealing with incidents and claims against your centre.

Self Check Q & A

An awareness of your exposure to risk helps you to identify opportunities for improvement. Riskequip has a number of questionnaires that are designed to provoke thought around how you manage risks in your centre. For instance:

Q: Are finger jam guards fitted to all internal and external doors?

Tip: A common cause of injury and the subject of a high percentage of child care claims seen by Guild Insurance are the result of a child’s finger/s being caught in a door. In many cases the finger is severed or fractured and extensive medical treatment is required.

A finger jam guard is usually made of flexible material and fits between the door frame and door hinge side of the door preventing fingers entering into this space when the door is being shut.

The cost of installing guards is relatively low and is recommended for all child care centres. 

Complete the questionnaires to assess how your centre handles risks such as infections and those associated with excursions. Managing risk is everyone’s responsibility, so consider encouraging staff to complete questionnaires to get them thinking about the risks that might exist in the centre.

Articles and case studies

Riskequip also hosts a library of articles and case studies on topics such as eliminating cash losses, addressing workplace stress and creating a safe environment for children and parents. Each article providing further insight into managing the risks in a child care centre.

Using Riskequip can help you to maximise your opportunities to maintain a safe environment and to protect your centre’s reputation.

Spend a minute to think about risk – visit www.riskequip.com.au/childcare