Failure to Perform Hand Hygiene Between Handling Dirty and Clean Dishes
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a staff member in the kitchen was observed handling both dirty and clean dishes without performing hand hygiene in between tasks. The staff member loaded dirty dishes onto racks, pushed them through the dish machine, and then immediately unloaded clean dishes from the other side without washing her hands or using any hand hygiene measures. This process was repeated multiple times, with the staff member alternating between handling dirty and clean dishes without any observed handwashing or sanitizing of hands. During an interview, the staff member confirmed that she did not perform hand hygiene after handling dirty dishes and before touching clean ones. She explained that her coworker had stepped away, and she was trying to keep the workflow moving. The facility's policy, reviewed as part of the investigation, requires employees to wash their hands after handling dirty dishes. This failure to follow hand hygiene protocols had the potential to affect all 87 residents who received food from the kitchen.