Dietary Staff Lacked Competency in Manual Dishwashing Procedures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that three dietary aides responsible for dishwashing were competent in the use of the three-compartment sink procedure for manual dishwashing in the kitchen. During observation, a dietary aide was found using the dishwasher to sanitize dishes, but when asked to test the sanitizer level, the test strips indicated a concentration of 10 ppm, which was below the required 200 ppm per manufacturer instructions. The test strips used were also expired. Despite these findings, the dietary aides continued to use the dishwasher and did not notify the Dietary Service Supervisor or initiate manual dishwashing using the three-compartment sink. Further observation revealed that when manual dishwashing was eventually started, a dietary aide was unsure of the required dwell time for sanitization and confirmed that there was no policy regarding dwell time readily available. Manufacturer guidelines indicated that surfaces needed to remain wet for at least 60 seconds, but this information was not known or accessible to the staff. The Registered Dietitian confirmed that expired test strips should not be used, and staff should be aware of proper procedures, including dwell time. The Director of Maintenance was unaware of any issues with the dishwasher.