Failure to Use Hair Restraints in Food Service
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to adhere to professional standards for food service safety by not ensuring that dietary staff wore appropriate hair restraints during food preparation and tray line service. The facility's policy, dated February 14, 2025, mandates that staff in Food and Nutrition Services must wear clean and appropriate hairnets and hair restraints that cover all hair, including beards and facial hair. However, observations in the main kitchen on April 22, 2025, revealed that Dietary Staff 2 was plating breakfast meals without a facial hair restraint. During an interview, Dietary Staff 2 admitted to removing the restraint because it was hot and he had to answer the phone multiple times. Further observations on the same day at lunchtime showed that Dietary Aide 3 was pushing carts in the main kitchen without a hair restraint. Upon interview, Dietary Aide 3 confirmed that she should have been wearing a hair restraint, but it must have fallen off when she went outside. The Interim Certified Dietary Director confirmed that the dietary department was fully staffed on April 21, 2025, and that staff should have had their hair covered appropriately with hair restraints.
Plan Of Correction
Dietary staff adorned appropriate hair restraints during food preparation and tray line service. Certified Dietary Manager and/or designee will educate dietary staff on Dress and Personal Hygiene and Employee Sanitary Practices Policies. Dietary Manager and/or supervisor will monitor compliance daily with kitchen observation. Administrator and/or designee will perform random audits to verify staff are wearing appropriate hair restraints during food preparation and tray line service. These audits will be completed 3 times weekly for two weeks and 1 time weekly for four weeks. The results of these audits will be reviewed by the Quality Assurance Performance Improvement team for further recommendations.