COMMUNITY BASED PRE-SCHOOL

Community Based Pre-school

Community Based Pre-school

Introduction

Community based Pre-School is by a group of interested parents known as “The Management Committee”. Parents have the opportunity to be part of this team or help in other areas such as rosters and special events thus making a worthwhile contribution towards the direction of the preschool and their child's early education. (Connor, Hammond, Gottman, Guralnick, Kinnish, 2006, 359)

These Pre-Schools are a non profit organisation and relies on Government subsidies and fees for financial support. The “Registered Carer” with the Family Assistance Office and are licensed by the Department of Community Services for a maximum of 40 children per day aged 3-5 years. (Hanline, 2003, 28)

P1: PROVIDING A SAFE PRE-SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

The list below denotes several prominent environmental safety issues that can occur in schools:

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

emergency power systems

hazardous materials

integrated pest management

mercury

personal protective equipment

polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - The release of ozone-depleting compounds - such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which are found in air conditioning and refrigeration equipment - should be minimized. School districts should ensure that all personnel servicing refrigerants are certified to do so and are using proper tools and equipment. Moreover, systems must be designed to include redundant valve settings as necessary to minimize the release of CFCs and HCFCs during routine maintenance. (Marchant, 2005, 61)

Emergency Power Systems - Failure to protect the supply of power to school buildings can have both short- and long-term consequences-from damage to computers to school cancellations. One strategy for dealing with the possibility of power interruption is the installation of backup energy and power systems. This may mean installing large, multipurpose, on-site power generators for general use or smaller, portable uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) for especially valuable equipment. (Miller, Strain, Boyd, Hunsicker, Wu, 2002, 353)

Hazardous Materials - The use and storage of hazardous materials is an important school facility management issue. Long-term exposure to chemicals (e.g., cleaning agents or reactants in chemistry labs) can cause serious health problems. Chemicals can also be fire hazards. Thus, all hazardous materials must be identified and catalogued for proper management (e.g., assigning disposal and storage responsibilities). The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA), sometimes referred to as SARA Title III, does not place limits on which chemicals can be stored, used, released, disposed, or transferred at a facility, but it does require the facility to document, notify, and report relevant information to occupants. Right-to-Know requirements affecting a school district include. (Peck, Carlson, Helmstetter, 2002, 53)

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Nearly every school will occasionally experience problems with pest infestation. An IPM program has the goal of eliminating or drastically reducing both pests and the use of toxic pesticides in schools. IPM is based on prevention, monitoring, and nontoxic pest control methods such as sanitation improvements, structural repairs, and mechanical, biological, behavioral, or other nonchemical initiatives. Rather than focusing on pesticide use, IPM aims to identify the conditions that foster pest problems and devise ways to change those conditions to prevent or discourage pest ...