Health & Safety Update - October 2024

News Flash:

On 11^th October 2024, a small fire started at Levin Playcentre after the sun’s rays were refracted by a magnifier item left in a dress-up basket. The resulting heat caused the material to smoulder and burn, filling the centre with smoke. The alarm monitoring service alerted the Session Facilitator (Carrie Jensen) who rang 111. No major damage was caused to the centre except for a few burnt toys, scorch marks on the carpet and a strong smell of smoke. However, this was due to luck and the dress-up basket being off the floor and carpet, otherwise it would have been a major fire. Thank You FENZ! And a huge Thank You to Carrie for airing out the centre and washing the centre’s toys and surfaces!

Fire Safety at Playcentre Aotearoa – A real story – The Fire at Belfast Playcentre

Belfast Playcentre near Christchurch burnt down in the spring of 2017. A hot saucepan of oil on the stove ignited. The fire was put out using a blanket and fire extinguisher and everyone evacuated safely from the building. Unfortunately, the oil re-ignited but their only fire extinguisher was empty (they only last for 12 seconds) and they didn’t have a second one.

Read the full story here:

Our playcentre burnt down on the weekend | The Spinoff

Why do we have Fire Drills?

Practicing your Fire Evacuation Procedure (9.2.2) means you will be confident in how you react in the event of a fire.
Fire drills must be conducted on an, at least a three monthly basis as per the Playcentre Annual Plan Overview 2024-2025 (drills in November 2024 and next year February, April, July).
Fire drills are a licensing requirement.
Emergency Procedures, 9.9.1. page 3 (in review).

Fire protection equipment at your centre

Fire extinguishers and water hoses and fire blankets could help save lives and property in the event of a fire.

If a building has a warrant of fitness (BWOF) then the fire hose and fire extinguisher in the building will be part of the BWOF fire protection system. This sits with Council, and they are not negotiable.

The exact details of these requirements are in the building’s fire design document.

The Fire and Evacuation Scheme lodged with Fire Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) also describe what extinguishers, hoses (and hydrant) and blankets will be in a centre. These need to be updated if there are any changes made in the centre.

If you are still unsure you can contact your local FENZ branch (Advisor Risk Reduction Officer) and ask for advice.

When to use a fire extinguisher

In the event of a fire, the priority is to safely evacuate the building, and people must not re-enter the building.

However, a small fire could be extinguished by a free centre member who is not assisting in the evacuation, and this could prevent the fire escalating into a widespread blaze with serious consequences.

First aid fire extinguishers should only be used on a small fire, if it is safe to do so.
A small fire would be the size of a wastepaper basket.
A fire extinguisher could also be taken by the last person exiting the building to extinguish small fires caused by falling embers or debris.

Operating a fire extinguisher

FENZ recommend that when operating a fire extinguisher, use the ‘PTASS’ technique:

Pull the safety pin or remove the clip.
Test squirt the extinguisher to make sure it is working.
Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire from a safe distance. Most extinguishers are designed to be operated from about 2 – 3 metres away.
Squeeze the handles.
Sweep the extinguisher from side to side while aiming at the base of the fire.
Note: Fire extinguishers only spray for 11 -12 seconds.

FENZ show how to use a fire extinguisher safely here: https://youtu.be/m24UyvIlAWo

For kitchen fires FENZ recommend:

If your frypan or pot is on fire, place the lid of the frypan or pot or another large flat object (like a chopping board) over the pan to starve the fire of oxygen.
If you have a fire in your oven, try to turn off the power or gas, either at the stove or at the mains.
Never throw water onto a frypan or pot that’s on fire.
Never attempt to carry a burning frypan or pot outside.

How to use a fire blanket

Your centre may have a blanket in the kitchen. These instructional videos show how to use it safely:

https://youtu.be/GLvnAe6-DLg

https://youtu.be/73uBTHEdew8

Smoke alarms

Test the battery in your smoke alarms monthly:

Smoke alarms | Fire and Emergency New Zealand

References

9.9.8 Emergency Drill Education Guidelines | Playcentre

Home | Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Cooking | Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Home fire safety | Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Emergencies – Education in New Zealand

Magpie Swooping Season

1. Swooping occurs between the end of Aug to mid-October and only for a few weeks when there are chicks in the nest. This means that swooping will be over or nearly over when the centre opens mid-October.

This seasonal risk should be in the Risk Register with any recommendations or controls they find work so it can be repeated the following year.
Use an alternate route into the centre and stay out of swooping zones where possible.

2. Magpies don’t trust children because they are noisy and move erratically.

Explain to tamariki and parents that walking quietly and calmly from the car park into the building will help to keep the magpie father calm and not disturb his sleeping chicks.

3. Magpies have a good memory and remember people who have been aggressive to them in the past (and attack people who look like them).

If the magpies are swooping on certain members – keep these members off outside duty.
Use an umbrella so members/tamariki cannot be recognised.
If swooping occurs every year, raise a temporary shade sail at the beginning of August in the swoop areas (a control for next year).

4. Magpies don’t like bikes. If magpies are swooping when bikes are being used – then don’t bring bikes out during swooping season.

5. Magpies don’t like people flapping and swinging their arms to scare them away – it infuriates them!

Don’t try to scare birds away by flapping arms.
Avoid playing games with tamariki that encourage these movements .

6. Encourage walking as calmly across the swooping area.

Wear a brimmed hat, sunglasses or use an umbrella.

7. Some research indicates that these clever birds are diplomatic and if food is left out for them, they will recognise you, not see you as a threat and become more friendly. You may want to trial this option.

8. Other research suggests that magpie’s nest where there is food and water. Therefore, make the centre less attractive area for nesting by removing larger bird feeders during spring (those designed for small bids are ok to leave). Remove water sources (toys filled with water). Cover the veggie garden with bird netting.

9. Magpies don’t swoop at people with ‘things’ sticking out of people’s hats.

This could be a creative opportunity for artistic mums to come up with some hat ideas.
Floaty garden decorations that disturb the magpie’s flight path through the outside play area.
Hang CDs off tree branches.

10. Your local Council has suggestions on what to do and may be able to offer help

E.g., Seven safety tips for magpie swooping season – OurAuckland (aucklandcouncil.govt.nz); Auckland Council 09 301 0101.
The Council should be made aware of high numbers of swooping and any injuries at the centre that occur because of swooping.

References

Bing Videos or https://youtu.be/Ujta_6jCwQs – ABC Science by Anne Jones.
Magpie swooping: Inside the Australian bird’s annual reign of terror | RNZ News
How To Get Rid of Magpies: 11 Effective Ways (upbackyard.com)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/idialoguei-there-is-no-good-excuse-for-killing-introduced-birds/E6ZSCZMHH6VTQQSWJKQWC7LBXQ/?c_id=1&objectid=202263

Lead in Toys

Lead exposure can cause neurological effects, reduced cognitive ability and IQ in children. Exposure occurs due to frequent contact with
skin or during mouthing when lead residue is swallowed. To protect children, it has been prohibited to sell or supply children’s toys that contain lead above 90 ppm since 26 March 2009. However, it is difficult to monitor small-scale ‘hobby’ toy manufacturers dotted around New Zealand that operate from garages and sell at markets/local shops. Children can also be exposed to at home if they unknowingly play with vintage toys that are made from lead alloys or that have original paint.

If the levels of lead and cadmium found by the XRF Analysis tests for the Kiwi-made wire bead toy branded “Rainbow Connections, Opua Post Office, Bay of Islands NZ” are correct (as per photo in the Facebook Blog). Then this toy would not meet the current New Zealand allowable limits for lead in coatings (90 ppm) or Cadmium (75 ppm).

Centre’ should check for this toy and dispose of it in the rubbish. Please write “Toy Contains Lead” on the wooden base to ensure that these toys aren’t removed from the rubbish by another person or recycled by the waste management company.

Commercially produced toys purchased for centres after 2009 should meet regulatory requirements for lead content. Centres concerned about old or vintage toys can use DIY lead testing swab kits (used for house paint). These tests will pick up very high levels of lead like those found in the metal beads or plastic wire coating of the Rainbow Connections toy but not lead levels lower than 600 ppm. If swab tests are negative, toys can be sent to a certified laboratory for testing (a cost will be involved) or removed from use.

Note: XRF Analysis is used for non-destructive analysis of elements (metals including lead and cadmium) found in objects like jewellery, toys, ceramics, etc. To be accurate this equipment needs to be calibrated to known calibration samples (that have known compositions)