Ice Machine Lacks Air Gap and Inadequate Hand Washing Water Temperature
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to maintain proper food safety standards in two key areas. First, the ice machine used for resident drinks and food preparation did not have an appropriate air gap between the ice storage bin drain and the floor sewage drain. The hose from the ice machine was submersed directly into the drain pipe, with no visible gap to prevent potential sewage backflow into the ice machine. Staff, including the Administrator and Dietary Manager, were unaware of the requirement for an air gap and confirmed that the current setup had been in place for years. Additionally, the kitchen hand washing sink did not provide warm water for staff use. When tested, the water temperature at the hand washing station was only 69.5°F after running for one minute, which is below the expected temperature for effective hand hygiene. The maintenance staff member confirmed that the water should be much warmer, indicating a problem with the sink's water temperature. These deficiencies had the potential to affect all 61 residents in the facility.