Q: Staff members are increasingly wearing long false nails. I'm not sure whether we should be allowing them because of hygiene reasons and also the risk to children when they are pointy. What do other settings do?
‘Our policy states that staff are not allowed to wear long, false nails. This is for hygiene and health and safety purposes. We use gloves for changing nappies and feeding babies. Nails with long points are quite sharp and could pierce the gloves. They also pose a risk of scratching. If nails come loose, a child's hair could get stuck under them. Also when doing food prep, a nail could fall off into the food. They are not very hygienic.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
