Unsecured Biohazardous Waste and Sharps Stored on Resident Units and at Facility Entrance
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to keep the environment as free of accident hazards as possible related to the storage and management of biohazardous waste and sharps. A community complaint reported that trash and biohazardous waste were blocking the back entrance and that such waste was stored in unlocked, unsecured rooms. Surveyors observed a room off the back entrance with the door half open containing multiple boxes labeled “Infectious Waste” and “Biohazard Medical Waste,” overflowing with sharps containers and red biohazard bags filled with sharps containers, with additional red bags on the floor extending to the doorway and visible from outside the room. These observations were repeated later the same morning, again with the door half open and the same unsecured biohazardous waste present. Further observations on resident units showed that biohazardous waste and sharps were stored in unlocked and unsecured rooms where residents resided, including a secured memory care unit. On one unit, a box was overflowing with sharps containers, with five additional sharps containers on top, including one open container with exposed needles and other sharp objects. On another unit, boxes were overflowing with sharps containers with nine additional containers on top. On a third unit, fourteen sharps containers were observed on the floor, along with multiple IV lines visibly containing blood hanging from the sharps containers. On the memory care unit, a box was overflowing with sharps containers with five additional containers on top. During these observations, multiple residents were seen ambulating and self-propelling near these unsecured rooms. Interviews confirmed that the rooms were unlocked and contained biohazardous waste and sharps, and that the waste had not been removed from the units. The Assistant Maintenance Director acknowledged that the back entrance room was filled with biohazardous waste and unlocked, and stated that the contracted biohazard waste removal company had not picked up waste due to non-payment. A representative from the waste removal company reported that services had been on hold since non-payment and that the last pickup occurred months earlier, which was consistent with facility records showing no biohazardous waste removal since that time. The Administrator stated she was aware of the biohazardous waste disposal issues upon being hired and acknowledged that waste was not disposed of appropriately due to non-payment, and was unable to provide evidence that the residents’ environment remained as free of accident hazards as possible related to the storage of biohazardous materials.
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