275 2 5 Chapter 11 Promoting Children’s Safety
When making evacuation
plans, remember that infants are
more difficult to remove than older fi
children. This is because infants
cannot walk. Most adults cannot
carry more than two infants at one
time. Therefore, when ratios are
higher than one caregiver to two
infants, a careful plan needs to be
made. Some centers practice by
placing several babies in special
evacuation cribs and rolling them out
of the building. Wagons can be used
for evacuating older children.
Plan and introduce fi re fi
and burn prevention into the
curriculum, if developmentally
appropriate. Remind the children
to tell staff right away if they smell
smoke. Explain that in a fire, clean fi
air is near the fl oor. By crawling fl
close to the ground it will be easier
to breathe. Teach the children what
to do if their clothing catches fire. fi
Figure 11-6 shows the stop, drop,
and roll technique. Also, share books
about fire safety and firefighters.fi fi fi
Sun Safety
The sun’s ultraviolet (UV)
rays cause harm. The result can
be skin damage, eye damage, and
even cancer. The sun’s rays are
the strongest between 10:00 a.m.
and 4:00 p.m. During these hours,
the children’s exposure should be
limited as it is the most damaging.
Before going outside, always check
the UV index. Daily newspapers
often provide this information on
the weather page. Otherwise, check
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency’s Web site.
Stop, Drop, and Roll
1. STOP:
Don’t move. Sto op where
you are.
2. DROP:
Drop to your knees.
3. ROLL:
Cover your face with your hands,
and then roll over and over to
smother the fl ames.
f clothing catches fi re, the stop, drop, and roll technique should be used. If f 11-6