A. You have a duty of care to ensure that your premises are safe for your employees and others using the facility. Should you decide to make toys available to children in your reception area, include this in your overall risk assessment of the building. You may wish to consider the following:
· Make sure that the toys you choose are appropriate for all ages of children. Follow the age markings on the toy’s packaging. Make sure there are no small pieces that could be a choking hazard to very young children or babies.
· Store the toys safely at the end of each day and make them easily accessible to the children during opening hours. Don’t put them high up on shelves where children may reach up and pull them down on top of themselves.
· Try to choose a corner or ideally, a separate small area for the toys, out of the way of the main flow of staff and patients. Ensure that the toys are regularly tidied during the day and that stray toys are cleared away from high-traffic areas. This will help to avoid problems with slip and trip accidents. Alternatively, consider purchasing a purpose built play table or wall-mountable play panel with integral toys that cannot be detached.
· Wash/disinfect and inspect the toys regularly to check for broken pieces or faults. Avoid soft toys that are less easy to disinfect than plastic or wooden toys. Inspect any toy batteries regularly and change them whenever necessary. If you find faulty or broken toys, remove them immediately and replace them.
