Public Health Laws and Regulations For Organized Camps in California

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In the State of California, Department of Public Health Laws and Regulations Relating to Organized Camps, the following reference is made: “An accepted reference for these operating procedures are the following chapters of the Accreditation Standards for Camp Programs and Services,” (CA, 2008. p.8). The ACA's influence is so renown that the State of California has adopted many of their standards into laws. With regard to basic personnel requirements I found two requirements by law, that are also found in the ACA standards. Citing the California Health and Safety Code, camps must first have a “'Health Supervisor' [meaning] a person who is either a physician, registered nurse, licensed vocational nurse who is licensed pursuant to Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code or a person who is trained in accordance with section 1596.866 of the Health and Safety Code” (CA, 2008 p. 5). Legally camps have four options for administering their health programs: a physician, registered nurse, licensed nurse, or trained according the section noted above. Section 1596.866 of the California Health and Safety Code is a very detailed section of law written primarily for day care centers and regulates one person to have at least 15 hours of first-aid training, plus one additional hour of training on pediatric first aid, pediatric CPR and practices for management of infectious diseases and preventing childhood injuries. After January 1, 2016 this person will also need an additional hour of pediatric nutrition training. HW.1.1-HW.1.4 of the ACA's standards reads similarly, with the exception that the ACA only approves a licensed physician or registered nurse. There is the small exception for a written agreement between a physician o... ... middle of paper ... ...tion to help them make their camps safer and healthier, but the trends will offer opportunities to develop 'best practices'” (2008, p. 270). References: Accreditation Standards for Camp Programs and Services (2012) Martinsville, IN: American Camp Association. Barst, B., Bialeschki, D. M., & Comstock, D. R.(2007). Healthy Camps: Initial Lessons on Illness and Injuries From a Longitudinal Study [Electronic Version]. Journal of Experiential Education. 30(3). 267-270. State Laws on Cardiac Arrest and Defibrillators. (2013). Retrieved January 15, 2014 from: http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/laws-on-cardiac-arrest-and-defibrillators-aeds.aspx State of California, Department of Public Health. (2008). Laws and Regulations Relating to Organized Camps. Sacramento, CA: Author. Located at: http://www.acacamps.org/sites/default/files/images/norcal/campcodes-08.08.pdf

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