10A NCAC 09 .1102         hEALTH AND sAFETY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

(a)  Child care administrators and staff members shall complete health and safety training within one year of employment, unless the staff member has completed the training within the year prior to beginning employment. Health and safety training shall be in addition to the new staff orientation requirements set forth in Rule .1101 of this Section. The following persons shall be exempt from this requirement:

(1)           staff members that do not have caregiving responsibilities for a child or group of children;

(2)           service providers such as speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists; and

(3)           substitute providers who provide services for less than 10 days in a 12-month period.

(b)  The health and safety training shall include the following topic areas:

(1)           Prevention and control of infectious diseases, including immunization;

(2)           Administration of medication, with standards for parental consent;

(3)           Prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions;

(4)           Building and physical premises safety, including identification of and protection

from hazards that can cause bodily injury such as electrical hazards, bodies of water, and vehicular traffic;

(5)           Emergency preparedness and response planning for emergencies resulting from a natural disaster, or a man-caused event;

(6)           Handling and storage of hazardous materials and the appropriate disposal of biocontaminants;

(7)           Precautions in transporting children, if applicable;

(8)           Prevention of shaken baby syndrome, abusive head trauma, and child maltreatment;

(9)           CPR and First Aid training as required in Paragraphs (c) and (d) of this Rule;

(10)         Recognizing and reporting child abuse, child neglect, and child maltreatment; and

(11)         Prevention of sudden infant death syndrome and use of safe sleeping practices.

(c)  All staff who provide direct care or accompany children when they are off premises shall successfully complete certification in First Aid appropriate to the ages of children in care. The training shall be completed by June 30, 2018, or for new staff hired on or after September 1, 2017, training must be completed within 90 days of employment. Distance learning shall not be permitted for First Aid training. At all times when children are in care at least one staff member present must have successfully completed First Aid training, as evidenced by a certificate or card from an approved training organization. First Aid training shall be renewed on or before expiration of the certification. "Successfully completed" is defined as demonstrating competency, as evaluated by the instructor. Verification of each required staff member's completion of this course from an approved training organization shall be maintained in the staff member's file in the center. The Division shall post a list of approved training organizations on its website at http://ncchildcare.nc.gov/providers/pv_sn2_ov_pd.asp.

(d)  All staff who provide direct care or accompany children when they are off premises shall successfully complete certification in a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) course appropriate to the ages of children in care. At all times when children are in care one staff member present must have successfully completed CPR training. The training shall be completed by June 30, 2018 or for new staff hired on or after September 1, 2017 training must be completed within 90 days of employment. Distance learning shall not be permitted for CPR training. CPR training shall be renewed on or before the expiration of the certification. Verification of each staff member's completion of this course from an approved training organization shall be maintained in the staff member's file in the center. The Division shall post a list of approved training organizations on its website at http://ncchildcare.nc.gov/providers/pv_sn2_ov_pd.asp.

(e)  One staff member shall complete training in playground safety. This training shall address playground safety hazards, playground supervision, maintenance and general upkeep of the outdoor learning environment, and age and developmentally appropriate playground materials and equipment. Distance learning shall not be permitted for playground safety training. Completion of playground safety training shall be included in the number of hours needed to meet annual on-going training requirements in this Section. Staff counted to comply with this Rule shall have six months from the date of employment, or from the date a vacancy occurs, to complete the required safety training. A certificate of each designated staff member's completion of this course shall be maintained in the staff member's file in the center.

(f)  In centers that are licensed to care for infants, the child care administrator and any child care provider scheduled to work in the infant room shall complete ITS-SIDS training. ITS-SIDS training shall be completed within two months of an individual assuming responsibilities in the infant room and every three years thereafter. Child care administrators, as defined in G.S. 110-86(2a), shall complete ITS-SIDS training within 90 days of employment and every three years thereafter. Completion of ITS-SIDS training shall be included once every three years in the number of hours needed to meet on-going training requirements in this Section. At all times, one child care provider who has completed ITS-SIDS training shall be present in the infant room while children are in care. A certificate of each staff member's completion of this course shall be maintained in the staff member's file in the center.

(g)  The child care administrator and all staff members shall complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment. This training shall count toward requirements set forth in Rule .1103 of this Section. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training is available at https://www.preventchildabusenc.org/services/trainings-and-professional-development/rrcourse. A certificate of each staff member's completion of this course shall be maintained in the staff member's file in the center.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 110-85; 110‑91(1),(8), (11); 143B‑168.3;

Eff. October 1, 2017.