North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 75 - Department of Human Services › Article 75-03 - Community Services › Chapter 75-03-11 - Preschool Early Childhood Services › Section 75-03-11-18 - Minimum sanitation and safety requirements

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. The operator shall ensure that the
				preschool's bathroom sinks, toilets, tables, chairs, and floors are cleaned
				daily. Cots and mats, if used, must be maintained in a clean, sanitary
				condition.
2. The operator shall
				ensure that the preschool's building, grounds, and equipment are located,
				cleaned, and maintained to protect the health and safety of children. The
				operator shall establish routine maintenance and cleaning procedures to protect
				the health of the children and staff members.
3. The operator shall ensure that in
				preschools licensed for more than thirty children, where meals are prepared,
				comply with the public health division of the department child care food
				service establishment license requirements pursuant to North Dakota Century
				Code chapter 23-09. If only snacks or occasional cooking projects are prepared,
				an inspection by the public health division of the department is not required.
				The operator shall correct any code violations noted by the health inspector
				and shall file reports of the inspections and corrections made with the
				department.
4. The operator shall
				ensure that indoor and outdoor equipment, toys, and supplies are safe, strong,
				nontoxic, and in good repair. The operator shall ensure that all toys and
				equipment are kept clean and in a sanitary condition. Books and other toys that
				are not readily cleanable must be sanitized as much as possible without
				damaging the integrity or educational value of the item.
5. The operator shall ensure adequate
				heating, ventilation, humidity, and lighting for the comfort and protection of
				the health of the children. All heating devices must be approved by the local
				fire authorities. When the preschool is occupied by children, the room
				temperature may not be less than sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit [18 degrees
				Celsius] and not more than seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit [24 degrees
				Celsius].
6. The operator shall
				ensure that exterior play areas in close proximity to busy streets and other
				unsafe areas are contained or fenced, or have natural barriers to restrict
				children from those unsafe areas. Outdoor play areas must be inspected daily
				for hazards and necessary maintenance.
7. The operator shall ensure that potential
				hazards, such as noncovered electrical outlets, guns, cleaning chemicals,
				uninsulated wires, medicines, and poisonous plants are not accessible to
				children. The operator shall keep guns and ammunition in locked storage, each
				separate from the other, or shall use trigger locks. The operator shall ensure
				other weapons and dangerous sporting equipment, such as bows and arrows, are
				not accessible to children.
8. The
				operator shall ensure that indoor floors and steps are not slippery and do not
				have splinters. The operator shall ensure that steps and walkways are kept free
				from accumulations of water, ice, snow, or debris.
9. The operator shall ensure that elevated
				areas including stairs and porches have railings and safety gates where
				necessary to prevent falls.
10. The
				operator shall take steps to keep the preschool free of insects and rodents.
				Chemicals for insect and rodent control may not be applied in areas accessible
				to children when children are present in the preschool. Insect repellant may be
				applied outdoors on children with written parental permission.
11. The operator shall ensure that
				combustible materials are kept away from light bulbs and other heat
				sources.
12. The operator shall
				ensure that exit doorways and pathways are not blocked.
13. An operator shall ensure that all
				preschool buildings erected before January 1, 1970, which contain painted
				surfaces in a peeling, flaking, chipped, or chewed condition in any area where
				children may be present, have painted surfaces repainted or shall submit
				evidence that the paints or finishes do not contain hazardous levels of
				lead-bearing substances. For the purposes of this chapter, "hazardous levels of
				lead-bearing substances" means any paint, varnish, lacquer, putty, plaster, or
				similar coating of structural material which contains lead or its compounds in
				excess of seven-tenths of one milligram per square centimeter, or in excess of
				five-tenths of one percent in the dried film or coating, when measured by a
				lead-detecting instrument approved by the department of environmental
				quality.
14. Staff members
				responsible for caring for or teaching children shall strictly supervise wading
				pools used by the preschool and shall empty, clean, and sanitize wading pools
				daily.
15. All swimming pools used
				by children must be approved annually by the local health unit.
16. Aquatic activities:
a. An operator shall have policies that
				ensure the health and safety of children in care while participating in aquatic
				activities, including types of aquatic activities the preschool may participate
				in, staff-to-child ratios appropriate to the ages and swimming ability of
				children participating in aquatic activities, and additional safety precautions
				to be taken.
b. The operator may
				not permit any child to participate in an aquatic activity without written
				parental permission, which includes parent disclosure of the child's swimming
				ability.