Dietary Aides Lacked Competency in Dishwashing and Sanitization Procedures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that dietary aides had the necessary skills and knowledge to safely and effectively perform food and nutrition service functions. During interviews and observations, one dietary aide was unable to accurately describe the proper procedure for manual dishwashing using the 2-compartment sink, including the correct water temperatures, immersion time, and sanitizer concentration. The dietary manager had to prompt the aide using posted instructions, and confirmed that staff, especially dishwashers, needed to be knowledgeable about these procedures. Another dietary aide provided incorrect information regarding the manual dishwashing process and sanitizer concentration, and both aides had attended relevant in-service trainings. Further observations revealed that a dietary aide was unable to properly demonstrate and verbalize the correct method for testing and achieving the appropriate sanitizer concentration when using the dishwashing machine. The aide incorrectly used the test strips and was unable to state the correct concentration required for sanitization. The registered dietitian acknowledged that staff should be able to properly wash and sanitize dishes to prevent foodborne illness. Facility policies and procedures specified the correct steps and concentrations for both manual and machine dishwashing, which were not followed or understood by the aides. A review of employee files showed that both dietary aides had been marked as competent in relevant procedures by the dietary manager, and had attended in-service trainings on dishwashing procedures. However, during the survey, they were unable to demonstrate or verbalize the correct procedures as outlined in facility policies. This failure had the potential to place 31 out of 33 highly susceptible residents at risk for foodborne illness due to improper dishwashing and sanitization practices.