Failure to Maintain Kitchen Steamer in Safe Operating Condition
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain the kitchen steamer in a safe operating condition, as evidenced by multiple observations of the unit leaking water onto the floor over several consecutive days. On three separate occasions, surveyors observed the steamer leaking and forming large puddles on the kitchen floor. These observations were confirmed in interviews with the Director of Food Service and another staff member, both of whom acknowledged the ongoing leakage. Review of the facility's Preventative Maintenance Procedures policy indicated that each piece of equipment should have its own inspection schedule and procedures to prevent equipment failure, but the steamer continued to leak without being repaired or removed from service. At the time of the survey, the facility census was 56, indicating that all residents had the potential to be affected by the unsafe condition of the kitchen equipment.