Nut and Allergens Awareness Policy

Context:
DECS schools are required to provide learning environments that are safe and supportive of all students.  This includes providing for the needs of students and staff who may have anaphylactic (severe allergic) conditions – including nut allergies.  For these individuals exposure to allergens at School, Preschool, OSHC, and ELC may constitute a serious risk to their health and wellbeing.

While it is not possible to guarantee that the school environment will be completely free of potential hazards, risks can be minimised by compliance with reasonable guidelines.

Please note: initially this policy is written with nut allergies in mind and will be updated to include other potential medical hazards involving allergies as the need arises.

Purpose

• To raise the awareness of anaphylactic conditions for all members of the school community
• To provide a safe school environment for all members of the school community.

Parents:

• Are requested NOT to send food to the ELC / Preschool / School and OSHC that contains nuts.  This includes products such as peanut paste,  Nutella’, most nuts, peanut cooking oil and other foods that may contain nuts
• Will be informed of this policy at the commencement of each new school year and reminders via newsletter and at enrolment
• Will have a care plan from the doctor if their child has a serious allergy

Students:

• Are not permitted to share food from home
• Who inadvertently bring food containing traces of nuts or nut products, are required to eat that food away from any allergic students and must wash their hands thoroughly before going to play

Staff:

• Will be made aware of students who have anaphylactic responses, including nut allergy
• Will supervise students during lunch eating time and will be vigilant in regard to this policy
• Will participate in training from St John or Red Cross every two years to understand procedures related to Anaphylaxis (sever allergic reactions) as the need arises

Promotion

• The policy will be promoted by:
• Information via the school newsletter
• New families to the school community being informed via information in their enrolment package
• Governing Council being informed and giving approval and support to this policy
• Staff being informed annually and provided with training opportunities
• Students being informed via teachers , signs and through the newsletter

Review

• This policy will be reviewed by staff and Governing Council every year.  The next review will be in 2008.

The school acknowledge that due to current food processing practices.  It is impractical to eliminate nuts and nut products entirely from an environment where there is food.  The emphasis is therefore on raising awareness and adopting the reasonable procedures regarding nut awareness.

Policy approved by Governing Council on 17th September, 2007