Section 110-301-0165 - Safety requirements(1) A school-age provider must keep indoor and outdoor schoolage program space, materials, and equipment free from hazards and in safe working condition. Equipment and toys purchased and used must be compliant with CPSC guidelines or ASTM standards. For any program that does not operate on public or private school premises, playground equipment and surfaces must meet the requirements of WAC 110-301-0146.(2) A school-age provider must take steps to prevent hazards to children including, but not limited to: (a) Ensuring firearms, guns, weapons, and ammunition are not on the premises of a school-age program; and(b) For any program that does not operate on public or private school premises, eliminating and not using in the licensed space, pursuant to RCW 43.216.380, any window blinds or other window coverings with pull cords or inner cords capable of forming a loop and posing risk of strangulation to children.(i) Window blinds and other window coverings that have been manufactured or properly retrofitted in a manner that eliminates the formation of loops posing a risk of strangulation are allowed; and(ii) A window covering must not be secured to the frame of a window or door used as an emergency exit in a way that would prevent the window or door from opening easily.(3) A school-age provider must take measures intended to prevent other hazards to children in care in school-age program space including, but not limited to: (a)Cuts, abrasions, and punctures. Equipment, materials, and other objects on the premises that have splintered edges, sharp edges, points, protruding nails, bolts, or other dangers must be repaired, removed, or made inaccessible to children;(b)Burns. Equipment, materials, or products that may be hot enough to injure a child must be made inaccessible to children;(c)Sheering, crushing, or pinching. Broken or cracked equipment, materials, and objects must be repaired, removed, or made inaccessible to children;(d)Entrapment. Spare or secondary freezers and refrigerators, washers, dryers, large compost bins, and other entrapment dangers must be inaccessible to children unless being actively supervised;(e)Tripping. Tripping hazards must be eliminated. For any program that does not operate on public or private school premises, uneven walkways and damaged flooring or carpeting, or other tripping hazards must be removed or repaired;(f)Falling objects. Large objects that pose a risk of falling or tipping must be securely anchored. Large objects include, but are not limited to, televisions, dressers, bookshelves, wall cabinets, sideboards or hutches, and wall units; and(g)Equipment in poor condition. Equipment in poor condition (loose parts, rusty parts, flaking paint, or other dangers) must be repaired, removed, or made inaccessible to children.(4) To ensure a safe environment for children in care, a school-age provider must comply with the following requirements: (a)Safe noise levels. Noise levels must be maintained at a level in which a normal conversation may occur, except when children are engaged in gross motor activities;(b)Stairway safety.(i) There must not be clutter or obstructions in the stairway;(ii) For any program that does not operate on public or private school premises, all stairways (indoor and outdoor), not including play structures, must meet local building codes pursuant to RCW 43.216.340. (A) Open stairways with no walls on either side must have handrails with slats (balusters) that prevent a child from falling off either side of the stairway.(B) Stairways with a wall on only one side must have a handrail with slats (balusters) on the side without the wall that prevents a child from falling off the stairway.(C) Stairways with a wall on both sides must have a handrail no higher than thirty-eight inches on at least one side of the stairway.(c)Indoor temperatures for the premises. For any program that does not operate on public or private school premises, the temperature of indoor school-age licensed space must be between 68 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. If indoor licensed space is colder than 68 or hotter than 82 degrees Fahrenheit, a school-age provider must use climate control devices that are inaccessible to children to bring the temperature within the required range;(d)Window openings. For any program that does not operate on public or private school premises, windows within the reach of children must only open up to three and one-half inches or have some barrier or preventative measure to discourage children from exiting through the window;(e)Licensed space lighting. For any program that does not operate on public or private school premises, school-age program space must have natural or artificial light that provides appropriate illumination for school-age program activities and supervision. A provider must comply with all light fixture manufacturers' installation and use requirements. A provider must also ensure compliance with the following requirements: (i) Light fixtures must have shatter-resistant covers or light bulbs;(ii) Lights or light fixtures used indoors must be designed for indoor use only;(iii) Free standing lamps must be attached or secured to prevent tipping; and(iv) Halogen lamps and bulbs are prohibited.(f)Safe water temperature. For any program that does not operate on public or private school premises, all water accessible to enrolled children must not be hotter than 120 degrees Fahrenheit; and(g)Platforms and decks. For any program that does not operate on public or private school premises, all platforms and decks used for school-age program activities must meet local building codes pursuant to RCW 43.216.340. This does not include play equipment. All platforms and decks with a drop zone of more than eighteen inches must have guardrails in sections without steps.(5) To ensure a safe environment for children in care, a school-age provider must comply with the following electrical requirements:(a) Electrical cords must be in good working condition, not torn or frayed, and not have any exposed wires;(b) Electrical cords must be plugged directly into a wall outlet or a power strip with surge protector;(c) Extension cords may only be used for a brief, temporary purpose and must not replace direct wiring;(d) Electrical devices accessible to children must not be plugged into an electrical outlet near a water source such as a sink, tub, water table, or swimming pool; and(e) For any program that does not operate on public or private school premises, outlets near sinks, tubs, toilets, or other water sources must be inaccessible to children or be tamper-resistant and equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet type.Wash. Admin. Code § 110-301-0165
Adopted by WSR 21-10-035, Filed 4/27/2021, effective 6/1/2021