Failure to Maintain Kitchen Stove in Safe Operating Condition
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain essential kitchen equipment in safe operating condition, specifically the gas stove in the kitchen. During an observation, it was found that the front left burner and the left side oven of the stove would not ignite when the knobs were turned. The dietary manager (DM) reported that the pilot light was out and used a multipurpose lighter to manually ignite both the burner and the oven. The DM acknowledged that the stove should ignite without the use of a lighter and expressed concern that lighting the stove in this manner could be hazardous. No facility policy regarding equipment maintenance and operation was provided when requested by the surveyor. Record review referenced the FDA Food Code 2022, which requires equipment to be maintained in good repair and proper adjustment.