Ohio Administrative Code › Title 5101:2 - Division of Social Services › Chapter 5101:2-9 - Children's Residential Centers, Group Homes, and Residential Parenting Facilities › Section 5101:2-9-06 - General safety

Current through all regulations passed and filed through July 1, 2024
(A) No residential facility shall maintain
			 any explosives, pyrotechnics, firearms, chemical weapons, or other similar
			 device or substance anywhere on the grounds of the facility.
(B) No residential facility shall permit any
			 staff person, child, or security personnel to bear any firearm, chemical
			 weapon, or other weapon or similar device while such person is anywhere on the
			 grounds of the facility or on duty. Nothing in this paragraph shall be
			 construed as prohibiting law enforcement authorities from bearing arms when
			 they are present at the residential facility in conjunction with their official
			 responsibilities.
(C)
								 A residential facility is to be free of peeling or
			 chipping paint. If a potential lead hazard is identified, the Ohio department
			 of job and family services (ODJFS) is to make a referral to the appropriate
			 agency.
(D) All porches and patios more than thirty-six inches
			 above ground level, elevated walkways, and elevated play areas on the grounds
			 of a residential facility shall be enclosed with barriers designed to prevent
			 falls.
(E) All workshop or outdoor power-driven equipment
			 used by a residential facility shall be maintained and operated in accordance
			 with manufacturer's instructions. Such equipment may be used by children as
			 permitted by law but only when under the supervision of a staff
			 person.
(F) Smoking shall not be permitted in the presence of
			 a child. If a residential facility permits smoking, the facility shall allow
			 smoking only in an outdoor designated area. In the designated smoking area
			 there shall be a proper smoking waste receptacle for collection of waste. All
			 employees who engage in smoking shall wash their hands when they reenter the
			 facility. There shall be no smoking in vehicles while transporting children of
			 the facility.
(G) All stairways accessible to children within or on
			 the grounds of a residential facility which contain more than four steps shall
			 be equipped with a railing. In addition, any facility which is a residential
			 parenting facility or crisis care facility shall guard all stairways accessible
			 to children with a safety gate.
(H) Outdoor areas on
			 the grounds of or immediately adjacent to a residential facility which are
			 potentially hazardous to residents shall be safeguarded considering the age and
			 functioning level of the residents.
(I) Each residential
			 facility shall document that all swimming pools maintained by the facility
			 comply with the requirements of any local or state codes.
(J)
			 Pets or other domesticated animals in or on the premises of a residential
			 facility shall be kept in a safe and sanitary manner in accordance with state
			 and local laws. Pet vaccinations shall be maintained current at all
			 times.
(K) All children or teenage mothers residing at a
			 residential facility shall be protected from animals in or on the premises of
			 the facility which are potentially dangerous to their health and
			 safety.
(L) Door locks:
(1)
			 All locks on at least one door to any room or storage area in which a child
			 could be confined in a residential facility shall be of the type which permit
			 the door to be unlocked from either side of the door and be unlocked from the
			 inside of the room or storage area without a key.
(2) Doors on the grounds of a residential
			 facility that do not need a lock that can be unlocked from either side of the
			 door are:
(a) A separate entrance to a
			 portion of the residential facility such as a cellar, basement or outside
			 storage room that is not accessible from within the residential
			 facility.
(b) A separate building
			 such as a garage, barn or storage shed on the grounds of a residential
			 facility.
(c) Keys to these type of
			 doors shall be kept in a place accessible only to staff of the
			 facility.