Unlocked Maintenance Office with Hazardous Chemicals
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that the maintenance office, which contained hazardous chemicals, was kept locked when unattended. On two separate observations, the maintenance office door at the end of the 300 hall was found propped open with no staff present. Inside the office, a spray bottle labeled ZEP containing a pink liquid and a container labeled All Purpose Leak Detector were accessible. Both products had warning labels indicating they should be kept out of reach of children due to potential hazards. Interviews with the Maintenance Director and the administrator confirmed that the office should have been locked when unoccupied. The Maintenance Director acknowledged that he must have forgotten to lock the door and recognized the risk of residents accessing hazardous materials. The facility's policy required that cleaning supplies and similar substances be stored securely and as instructed on product labels, which was not followed in this instance.