K0291 K291: Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.
D

Kitchen Illumination Deficiency

St Vincent Depaul ResidenceBronx, New York Survey Completed on 01-08-2025

Summary

The facility failed to ensure continuous illumination in the kitchen area, as manual switches were observed that could disable all lighting. This deficiency was noted during a Life Safety Code Survey on one of the four resident units. Specifically, on the first floor kitchen area wall, manual switches were found that, when tested, turned off all illumination in the kitchen area. This was confirmed through observation and an interview with the facilities director, who acknowledged the issue.

Plan Of Correction

Plan of Correction: Approved January 22, 2025 K291 Plan of Correction for affected areas: The facility reconfigured the manual switches on the first-floor kitchen wall allowing for continuous illumination in the kitchen area when switches are turned off. Work completed 01/12/24. Plan of Correction to identify other areas potentially affected: The facility acknowledges that all residents have the potential to be affected by this practice. The Director of Plant Operations inspected all kitchen areas throughout the facility for similar deficiencies. No deficiencies were identified. Work completed by 01/21/24. Plan of Correction for system measures to prevent reoccurrence: All maintenance staff will receive additional education, and all participants will understand the life safety issues relating to continuous illumination in the kitchen. The Director of Plant Operations has been assigned the responsibility for the education of staff. The facility will check for continuous illumination in the kitchen on a monthly basis. The Director of Plant Operations will utilize an audit tool to document and report kitchen continuous illumination lighting findings. Plan of Correction for monitoring corrective actions: The Director of Plant Operations or Designee will review monthly Kitchen continuous illumination audit for any cases of non-compliance. The Director of Plant Operations or Designee will report the result of the kitchen continuous illumination lighting audits to the QAPI committee on a monthly basis for 6 months, as well as correction plan if warranted. Responsibility: Director of Plant Operations

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
See other K0291 citations
Failure to Document Required Annual 90‑Minute Emergency Lighting Test
F
K0291 K291: Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.
Short Summary

Surveyors found that the facility did not have documentation showing completion of the required annual 90‑minute test of emergency lighting. During record review and interview, the Director of Facilities confirmed that records of this annual test, required under NFPA 101 sections 19.2.9.1 and 7.9, were not available. This deficiency was cited as affecting all occupants in the event of a fire or other emergency.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Perform and Document Annual 90‑Minute Emergency Battery Lighting Test
F
K0291 K291: Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.
Short Summary

Surveyors found that the facility did not perform and/or could not document the required annual 90‑minute test of battery-powered emergency lighting as required by NFPA 101 (2012 and 2021). During a record review with the Maintenance Director, no records were available to show that the annual 90‑minute emergency lighting test had been completed, and the Maintenance Director acknowledged the absence of this documentation, resulting in a cited deficiency affecting all occupants of the building.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Maintain and Document Required Emergency Battery Backup Lighting Tests
F
K0291 K291: Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.
Short Summary

Surveyors found that the facility failed to maintain and document required testing of emergency battery backup lighting in accordance with NFPA 101. During record review with the Maintenance Director, no documentation was available for the monthly 30-second tests or the annual 90-minute tests for all sampled battery backup emergency lights. The Maintenance Director acknowledged the absence of these records, and the deficiency was determined to affect all residents and staff.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Perform and Document Required Emergency and Exit Lighting Tests
F
K0291 K291: Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.
Short Summary

Surveyors found that the facility did not perform and/or document required monthly and annual inspections of battery back-up emergency and exit lighting in accordance with NFPA 101 standards. During record review, no evidence was available to show that emergency lights throughout the building had been tested for the required 90-minute annual duration, despite multiple requests for documentation. The Maintenance Director confirmed that the documentation could not be produced, and this deficiency potentially affected all residents in the facility.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Lack of Documentation for Emergency Lighting Testing
C
K0291 K291: Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.
Short Summary

The facility did not provide documentation to verify that required monthly and annual tests of battery-powered emergency lighting were performed, as confirmed by both document review and interviews with the DON and Director of Maintenance.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Document Annual Emergency Lighting Test
C
K0291 K291: Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.
Short Summary

Surveyors determined that the facility did not conduct or document the required annual 90-minute test of battery backup emergency lighting. This was confirmed by facility leadership during the survey process.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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