Early childhood workers risk injury when they bend, reach or twist when lifting young children into and out of highchairs and cribs and when using change tables. This guidance can help employers reduce the risk of injury to early childhood workers.

•  Reducing the risk of injury
•  Using cribs
•  Using highchairs
•  Using change tables
•  Systems for safely lifting and helping children

Reducing the risk of injury

Early childhood workers operate in demanding and fast-paced environments and can face situations which may compromise their health and safety. Employers have an obligation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health. This obligation requires employers to eliminate risks to health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable. If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate those risks, employers must reduce those risks, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Hazardous manual handling and musculoskeletal disorders

Employers also have additional duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (OHS Regulations) relating to the elimination and control of risks associated with hazardous manual handling and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Manual handling is any task that requires a person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry, move, hold or restrain something. It becomes hazardous manual handling when it involves application of high force or long duration coupled with repetitive movements, sustained awkward posture or unstable or difficult-to-hold loads.

Handling children can be hazardous manual handling and can put employees at risk of an MSD.

Part 3.1 of the OHS Regulations has details of employers' specific duties relating to the control of risks from hazardous manual handling. You'll find cards at the bottom of the page linking to more information about the OHS Regulations and OHS Act, information about hazardous manual handling and MSDs and other resources.

To reduce the risk of MSDs, employers must:

• have a process to identify hazardous manual handling risks and eliminate them where possible
• ensure that where is it not possible to eliminate the risk, the risk is reduced so far as reasonably practicable through the use of higher-order controls such as, for example, changing the workplace layout and engineering controls
• ensure the workplace has adequate room and facilities for employees to safely perform their tasks
• ensure employees are using the correct equipment
• ensure employees receive appropriate information, instruction, training or supervision so they fully understand the safest ways to perform their tasks
• Employers and employees should work together to identify and control risks, making sure that controls meet the needs of both employees and children and that any risk controls do not create new hazards.
• The following guidelines may help eliminate or reduce, so far as reasonably practicable, the risk of an MSD when using furniture such as cribs, highchairs and change tables.

Using cribs

• Employers should make sure workplaces use cribs which minimise the distance employees need to bend and reach.
• cribs should be of a height that will enable employees to lift and lower children into and out of the cribs with minimal forward bending of the employee's back.
• If cribs have two base positions, set the base to the higher position for infants unable to stand. The higher base position will reduce the need for employees to reach into cribs.
• cribs should have sides that drop to reduce the need for employees to bend and reach over the cot side to lift and lower children. At its dropped level, the top of the cot's lowered side should be at least 250mm above the top of the mattress to ensure children cannot roll out of the cot.
• Ensure there is enough clearance under cribs for employees to stand with their feet under the edge of the cot to minimise reaching distance.
• Prepare cribs in advance so sides are down before employees lift children in or out.
• If cribs have wheels, ensure the wheels have locks and keep wheels in the locked position when the cot is not being moved.
• Regularly check and maintain cot wheels, wheel locks and drop-down sides to ensure cribs are safe and secure.
• Assess floor surfaces to ensure minimal friction and resistance when wheeling cribs. Change floor surfaces so employees can easily move cribs.
• Ensure cribs meet all relevant structural safety requirements.