Failure to Change Gloves and Maintain Hand Hygiene During Food Preparation
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a dietary staff member failed to follow proper glove-changing and hand hygiene protocols during food preparation in the facility's kitchen. The staff member, while wearing gloves, touched a piece of paper and the outside of a bread bag, both of which were considered contaminated, and then proceeded to handle bread and place it into a puree processor without changing gloves. During this process, the staff member's gloved fingers also came into contact with the inside of the puree processor and the pureed bread, further increasing the risk of contamination. At no point during these tasks did the staff member change gloves or wash hands, despite having been in-serviced on hand hygiene practices. Interviews with the dietary staff member, the Dietary Manager, and the Administrator confirmed that the expectation was for staff to change gloves and wash hands between tasks or after touching contaminated items. All acknowledged that the bread bag and paper were considered contaminated and that failure to follow hand hygiene protocols could result in the spread of germs to food. Review of the facility's handwashing policy also reflected the importance of good handwashing practices to minimize the risk of infection and foodborne illness among residents.