SUN & HEAT SAFETY POLICY

 

Legal Requirements:

This policy has been informed by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), NHS and the Government website.

 

We understand the severity of being exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UV) from sunlight; ‘damage from UV exposure is cumulative and increases your skin cancer risk over time’ (www.skincancer.org)

Therefore, we take our commitment to protecting the children’s skin seriously and have several precautions in place to limit the risk of over-exposure to the sun. 

 

Risk and vulnerability:

Children under 4 years of age are deemed vulnerable because of their ‘physiology, behaviours and activity levels;’ (www.gov.uk). The government website also states that children with chronic medical conditions and those that are taking certain medication are at further risk (please seek medical advice for more information).

 

The main risks to the children are: dehydration, sunburn & heat related conditions.

 

Babies and children are particularly vulnerable to sunburn as they have more sensitive skin than adults, so we need to be particularly robust in how we care for them (www.nhs.uk)

NHS also advises that if children are at risk of sunburn, then sunscreen must be applied twice: 30 minutes before going out and just before going outside.

We therefore ask the parents to apply the first application of sunscreen before bringing their child to nursery; staff will ask to ensure that this has been done or to apply sunscreen if parents have forgotten. We will then re-apply sunscreen just before the children go outside for outdoor play.

 

We ask parents to supply Sunscreen that stays at the nursery; this will not be shared as children may have sensitive skin or allergies, so it is important that parents provide sunscreen for their own child (siblings can share). Sunscreen will be labelled for each child.

Parents will be asked for their written consent for staff to administer sunscreen.

 

Parents are asked to ensure that sunscreen is at least factor 30 and is 4-5 star UVA and where possible that it is waterproof.

 

Protecting children’s skin:

• keep immobile babies and young children in shaded areas of the garden (under fixed structures where possible).

• ensure that children are wearing suitable clothing – long sleeved tops & full-length skirts/trousers (thin/light clothing)

• keep children inside at the hottest times of the day  (between 11am-3pm from March to September (NHS)

• ensure that the children are wearing hats (if possible, ones that cover their parts of their face, ears and neck)

• ensure that sunscreen is applied throughout the day (according to manufactures guidelines).

• encourage children to wear sunglasses if they can/want to (these need to be provided by the parents)

• make sure that drinking water is accessible both indoors and out and ensure that the children are drinking plenty of it throughout the day.

 

As part of ‘Managing Self,’ (PSED), we discuss looking after our skin with the older children. The children (where developmentally appropriate) are encouraged to rub in their sunscreen independently under the guidance of staff; this is then supported and topped up by staff.

 

Parents are reminded about the importance of providing sunscreen in newsletters, emails or text messages.

 

Protecting Children from the heat (indoors and out):

• Children will not engage in physically challenging activities/exercise when the weather is excessively hot (over 30°)

• Children will be kept in the shade as much as possible; activities and resources should be set out in the shade to encourage children to stay there

• Equipment such as slides or bikes or any items that can get hot in the sun should be moved away from the children. Items such as a fixed slide should be cordoned off so that children do not burn their skin

• Children must have sunscreen applied before going outside

• Children should wear loose, light clothing & MUST have sunhats

• Children will be prompted and offered water more frequently; staff should monitor this closely, especially non-verbal children or children who are active

• Outdoor play times may need to be revised, restricted or cancelled if the temperature is too hot

• Windows will be opened as early as possible in the mornings

• Windows will be closed when the air outside is making it warm inside

• Electrical equipment will be unplugged when not being used

• Some rooms may need to be closed if they are too hot

• Children may need to have their naps in other rooms if they are cooler

• Fans will be used if the temperature is below 35°

 

In rare cases, temperatures may be considered extremely dangerous, therefore the Government may issue a heatwave alert, whereby we may need to make adjustments to ensure the safety of the children and staff. A risk assessment will be carried out to ensure that appropriate control measures are in place to mitigate all risks; this may result in a partial or full closure of the nursery depending on the situation. Parents will be informed as soon as possible and will be updated throughout the day/week.

Where appropriate, parents will be advised on how to keep their children and families safe in extreme weather.

 

Signs of Dehydration:

Dehydration is when the body loses more fluids than it takes in, this then results in, fewer wet nappies, dark urine, dry mouth, tiredness, dizziness, headache, irritability. Babies may have a sunken Fontella, sunken eyes and may be drowsy.   

 

Heat Related Illnesses:

In addition to protecting the children’s skin, we also need to be mindful of the effects of high temperatures on their health and wellbeing.

As stated above, young children are more vulnerable to the sun, this is also true of the heat. Children do not sweat as much as adults, so they cannot regulate their body temperature as effectively; this then means that children are more at risk of heat related illnesses such as heat stress or heatstroke.

 

Heat Stress:

Children can be irritable when suffering from heat stress; they may not seem like their normal selves and can be in a state of discomfort. Physical activities can exacerbate the symptoms which then can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

 

Heat Exhaustion:

This occurs when the body overheats; it presents with signs and symptoms such as: tiredness, vomiting, headaches, confusion and red, hot & dry skin. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke.

 

Heat Stroke:

This is the most serious condition, when the body can no longer control regulating its temperature; this occurs when the body is exposed to extremely high temperatures. Although heat stroke may result from untreated heat stress or exhaustion, it can also occur suddenly without warning.

Some signs and symptoms are an extremely high temperature (over 40°), fast and shallow breathing, fast heart rate, fits or loss of consciousness.

 

Once it is identified that a child has heat stroke, staff are expected to respond quickly by cooling them down as soon as possible, i.e. giving them water to drink, sponging them down with cool water, wrapping them in a wet sheet or putting them next to a fan.

 

Staff must phone for an ambulance if the child’s temperature does not go down within 30 minutes; this is also crucial if the child has a fit or loses consciousness.

 

Staff Training:

As part of the annual first aid refresher training, staff will be trained to recognise signs and symptoms of health related illnesses.

The Manager raises sun safety issues as an agenda item to ensure that that staff are up to date with what else we can do to keep the children safe.

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Record Keeping, Monitoring & Reporting:

Staff record absences when children are ill, this helps us to ascertain if there is an outbreak as well as limiting the spread of infection.

The staff will monitor any heat health related illnesses in the same way; where appropriate, the Manager will report any concerns to Waltham Forest Health Protection Team for further advise.

 

If parents are concerned with how staff are supporting and protecting the children in the sun and heat, please bring this to the attention of the Manager.

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Policy created by: Yolande Farrell            Manager

 

Signed off by:      Zarkar Akhtar               Owner

 

Date: June 2026                                         Date of next review: June 2028