This Level 2 Health and Safety in Early Years course provides practitioners, nursery staff, childminders and early years educators with the essential knowledge needed to keep children and colleagues safe. It explains legal responsibilities under the EYFS, risk assessment principles, accident prevention and safe working practices for childcare settings. Designed specifically for early years environments, the course supports health and safety training for childcare providers, covering indoor and outdoor risks, food safety and choking, medicines handling, infection control and emergency procedures tailored to babies and young children.
Learners explore key health and safety duties, common early years hazards, the role of supervision, reporting responsibilities and safe behaviour within nursery and pre-school routines. This childcare health and safety training aligns with the EYFS statutory framework and helps staff understand how to maintain a safe, well-supervised environment throughout the day. It is suitable for nurseries, preschools and home-based childcare settings that require a practical, recognised health and safety course for childminders and wider early years teams responsible for children under five.
Course Level: 2 / Intermediate Reference: AHSCP2SFG25 Accreditations: Qualifi, CPD Certificate: Instant PDF download
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What you'll learn
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Legal duties under the EYFS and Health and Safety at Work Act
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How to identify hazards and assess risks in early years environments
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Accident reporting, first aid and RIDDOR requirements
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Food safety, choking prevention and safe allergy management
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Safe supervision indoors, outdoors and during play
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COSHH, manual handling and safe equipment use
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Infection control, nappy changing and safe medicine procedures
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Emergency responses including CPR, fire evacuation and missing-child procedures
Who should take this course?
This Early Years version of the Level 2 Health and Safety course is suitable for:
- Nursery practitioners and early years educators
- Childminders and assistants
- Preschool and nursery staff
- Room leaders and supervisors
- Teaching assistants working with under-fives
- Anyone responsible for children’s safety and wellbeing in early years settings
It is designed for anyone responsible for children under five who needs recognised childcare health and safety training as part of their role. This includes individuals completing induction training or updating their responsibilities for health and safety in early years environments.
Course overview
This Level 2 Health and Safety in Early Years course follows the national Level 2 health and safety syllabus and adapts it to the legal duties, risks and routines found in nurseries, pre-schools and childminding spaces. Learners explore workplace hazards, accident prevention, emergency procedures and safe practices tailored to babies and young children, with examples taken from real early years settings.
This chapter defines legal duties for early years settings under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the EYFS. Learners explore practitioner responsibilities, employer duties, due diligence and the enforcement roles of EHOs, HSE and Ofsted. It explains how EYFS outcomes translate into safe working practices, supervision and accountability.
Learners explore the causes of accidents, unsafe acts and conditions, and the value of near-miss reporting. The chapter introduces accident recording, RIDDOR requirements and practical risk assessment using the five-step model. It highlights the practitioner’s role in spotting risks early and escalating concerns appropriately.
This chapter covers foodborne illness risks in young children, daily controls such as handwashing and temperature management, and choking prevention with age-appropriate food preparation. It also includes allergen management, the 14 named allergens, allergy action plans, safe seating and emergency anaphylaxis response.
Learners explore common causes of injury in early years settings, including falls, burns, scalds, electrocution, poisoning and play-related incidents. The chapter covers supervision principles, safe environment design, equipment standards, installation and maintenance, and safety checks for indoor and outdoor play.
This chapter explains robust security processes, safe arrivals and collections, identity checks and visitor procedures. It also covers off-site visit planning, ratios, consent, emergency contacts and missing-child procedures, alongside vehicle safety and legal transport requirements.
Learners study safe manual handling techniques, COSHH principles, safe chemical storage and PPE use. The chapter includes electrical safety, PAT testing, appliance checks and how to respond to electrical hazards or faults.
This chapter covers infection prevention and control, handwashing, cleaning routines, nappy changing, toileting and handling of bodily fluids. It explains exclusion periods, immunisation considerations, notifiable diseases and safe medicines storage, consent and administration.
Learners explore practical emergency procedures including child/adult CPR, emergency calling, fire evacuation, escape routes, drills, PEEPs and missing-child protocols. The chapter emphasises calm, structured responses to serious incidents.
Do I have to do any other courses first?
No, there are no entry requirements for this Level 2 course. It is suitable for beginners and experienced early years staff. A basic foundation in health and safety is helpful but not essential.
Course features
Try our sample chapter - Introduction, EYFS and the Law
Frequently asked questions
Individual learners have 30 days from registration to complete the course and exam. Business buyers have 12 months to allocate course codes, with each learner receiving 30 days of access from activation. Extensions can usually be arranged on request.
Most learners complete this Level 2 Health and Safety in Early Years course in two to four hours, depending on experience. A minimum study period applies to unlock the final exam. Learners with existing knowledge may use the FastTrack option, which allows immediate access to the final assessment if the pre-exam check is passed.
You will receive unlimited free exam retakes. The exam includes 20 multiple-choice questions with a pass mark of 16/20. If unsuccessful, you’ll receive guidance on which topics to review before resitting.
Yes. The course aligns with key EYFS safety requirements, including supervision, risk assessment, accident reporting, medicines handling, allergy management and emergency procedures. Completing this training supports good inspection outcomes by showing that staff understand their responsibilities and follow consistent, safe working practices.
Yes. The course is fully online and mobile-responsive, so you can study on any device, including phones and tablets. Your progress saves automatically, allowing you to complete modules whenever and wherever it suits you.
Our courses are designed for different learning styles, with clear written guidance, video explanations and supportive visuals. Learners can study at their own pace on any device, helping them apply safe practice confidently in a childcare setting.
Our awarding bodies
Quality assurance is an important part of Safer Food Group training. We use external experts to review and accredit our courses for academic rigour, fit for purpose, accuracy and currency. This means that you can trust The Safer Food Group to deliver high quality, effective training.
SFG courses are endorsed by Qualifi, an Ofqual registered academic awarding body. Qualifi's focus is qualifications that meet the demands of employers and learners both vocationally and academically.
All SFG courses carry CPD credits. This means that CPD UK has verified SFG training is of suitable quality and content to count towards Continued Professional Development.
