The following guidelines are implemented when children have the opportunity to interact with animals.
- Staff will ensure that children are closely supervised at all times.
- Staff and children will immediately wash their hands after touching animals. Staff will closely supervise to ensure that after hand-washing children do not become decontaminated by playing with children who have not washed their hands.
- While visiting animals children are not to:
- Touch mouth or lick fingers
- Eat food intended for animals
- Eat general food
- Leave open wounds uncovered - Always wash hands and other exposed body parts with liquid soap and running water after:
- Touching animals, their enclosures or food containers.
- Being licked, bitten or spat on by animals
- Having contact with soil or faeces. - Staff will encourage caring behaviours and handling of all animals
Source referenced – www.health,vic.gov.au
“Zoos & Personal Hygiene.”
Policy reviewed August 2017
