North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 10A - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › Chapter 09 - CHILD CARE RULES › Section .0600 - SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILD CARE CENTERS › Section 09 .0604 - SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILD CARE CENTERS

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
(a) In
				child care centers, potentially hazardous items, including power tools, nails,
				chemicals, propane stoves, lawn mowers, and gasoline or kerosene, whether or
				not intended for use by children, shall be stored in locked areas, removed from
				the premises, or otherwise inaccessible to children.
(b) Firearms and ammunition are prohibited in
				a licensed child care center unless carried by a law enforcement
				officer.
(c) When not in use,
				electrical outlets and power strips located in space used by children shall
				have safety outlets or be covered with safety plugs unless located behind
				furniture or equipment that cannot be moved by a child.
(d) Electric fans shall be mounted out of the
				reach of children or shall be fitted with a mesh guard to prevent access by
				children.
(e) All electrical
				appliances shall be used only in accordance with the manufacturer's
				instructions. For appliances with heating elements, such as bottle warmers,
				crock pots, irons, coffee pots, or curling irons, neither the appliance nor any
				cord shall be accessible to preschool-age children.
(f) Electrical cords shall not be accessible
				to infants and toddlers. Extension cords, except as approved by the local fire
				inspector, shall not be used. Frayed or cracked electrical cords shall be
				replaced.
(g) All materials used
				for starting fires, such as matches, lighters, and accelerants shall be kept in
				locked storage.
(h) Children shall
				be in a smoke free and tobacco free environment. Smoking and the use of any
				product containing, made or derived from tobacco, including e-cigarettes,
				cigars, little cigars, smokeless tobacco, and hookah, shall not be permitted on
				the premises of the child care center, in vehicles used to transport children,
				or during any off premise activities. All smoking materials shall be kept in
				locked storage. For child care centers in an occupied residence that are
				licensed for 3 to 12 children when any preschool-age children are in care, or
				for 3 to 15 children when only school-age children are in care, the premises
				shall be smoke free and tobacco free during operating hours.
(i) Signage regarding the smoking and tobacco
				restriction shall be posted at each entrance to the center and in vehicles used
				to transport children.
(j) The
				operator shall notify the parent of each child enrolled in the center, in
				writing, of the smoking and tobacco restriction.
(k) Fuel burning heaters, fireplaces, and
				floor furnaces, if applicable, shall be fitted with a protective screen
				attached to supports to prevent access by children and to prevent objects from
				being thrown into them.
(l) Toxic
				plants shall be inaccessible to children. A list of toxic plants may be found
				on the Division's website at
http://ncchildcare.nc.gov/pdf_forms/form16b_bb.pdf
.
(m) Air conditioning units shall
				be located so that they are not accessible to children or shall be fitted with
				a mesh guard to prevent objects from being thrown into them.
(n) Gas tanks and gas or charcoal grills
				shall be inaccessible to children or shall be in a protective
				enclosure.
(o) Cribs and playpens
				shall be placed so that the children occupying them shall not have access to
				cords or ropes, such as venetian blind cords.
(p) Once a day, prior to initial use, the
				indoor and outdoor premises shall be checked for debris, vandalism, and broken
				equipment. Debris shall be removed and disposed of.
(q) Plastic bags, toys, toy parts small
				enough to be swallowed, and materials that can be torn apart, such as foam
				rubber and styrofoam, shall not be accessible to children under three years of
				age. However, styrofoam plates and larger pieces of foam rubber may be used for
				supervised art activities and styrofoam plates may be used for food service.
				Jump ropes and rubber bands shall not be accessible to children under five
				years of age without adult supervision. Balloons shall be prohibited for
				children of all ages.
(r) When
				non-ambulatory children are in care, a crib or other device shall be available
				for evacuation in case of fire or other emergency. The crib or other device
				shall be fitted with wheels in order to be moveable, have a reinforced bottom,
				and shall be able to fit through the designated fire exit. For centers that do
				not meet NC Building Code for institutional occupancy as described in
				10A NCAC
				09.1301, and have an exit more than eight
				inches above grade, the center shall develop a written plan to ensure a safe
				evacuation of the crib or other device. The operator shall submit the plan to
				the Division for review. The Division shall approve the plan and shall require
				a demonstration of the center implementing the plan during a drill. During the
				required fire, lockdown, or shelter-in-place drills, an evacuation crib or
				other device shall be used in the manner described in the Emergency
				Preparedness and Response Plan as defined in
				10A NCAC
				09.0607(c).
(s) A First Aid kit shall be available on
				site and accessible to staff. Each staff member shall be aware of the location
				of the First Aid kit.
(t) Fire
				drills shall be practiced monthly and records shall be maintained as required
				by 10A
				NCAC 09
				.0302(d)(5).
(u) A "shelter in place drill" or "lockdown
				drill" as defined in
				10A NCAC
				09.0102 shall be conducted at least every
				three months and records shall be maintained as required by
				10A NCAC
				09.0302(d)(8).
(v) In child care centers, biocontaminants
				shall be:
(1) stored in locked
				areas;
(2) removed from the
				premises;
(3) inaccessible to
				children; or
(4) shall be disposed
				of in a covered, plastic lined receptacle.