Introduction
Woodland Avenue Practice provides toys for children either in some of the consulting rooms. These can harbour germs if not cleaned on a regular basis, and these can be passed on via mouth contact. During periods of pandemic or health alerts all toys are removed altogether with a sign advising parents of the precaution.
This document sets out the practice procedure designed to minimise infection risk.
Requirements
- Numbers of toys will be kept to a minimum
- No soft toys are available – any donated or left on the premises are disposed of
- Hard toys (wood, plastic) will be accepted and must be in a good state of repair, of good quality, and specifically designed for small children
- Toys generally must be of a sufficient size to prevent them being inserted into a child’s mouth in its entirety. Toys deemed to be smaller than this are disposed of.
- Toys (e.g. small cars, figures etc) which are painted, or where a painted or coated surface is capable of being chipped or removed (perhaps in mouth) are not provided.
- Where a child wishes to take a toy home this can be generally allowed where reasonable however the toy must be cleaned with anti-bacterial wipes or spray before being released.
- Toys which become contaminated with blood or body fluid will be cleaned immediately or disposed of
- The practice cleaners are the designated personnel responsible for the hygiene of toys
- Where toys are stored in a plastic box within specific rooms, the box is washed twice per week as a minimum
- Toys are washed in hot water with a general purpose detergent and dried with disposable towels
- Interim cleaning will be carried out using anti-bacterial wipes and / or spray.
- Where books are available these generally are of the type having washable / wipeable covers and are in good condition. Old or soiled books are disposed of.
- Once a week the toys in each room are inspected by the practice cleaners who will, Clean the toys as above, Remove and dispose of any soft toys or other non-compliant toys as above, Examine the remaining toys for signs of damage, especially sharp edges on snapped plastic items, and any rough or splinted surfaces or edges on wooden toys, and remove any toys with the potential to cause harm, Identify any toys left as donations in the toy area, and ensure any new ones comply with the above.