Improper Maintenance and Sanitation of Dumpster Area
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency related to improper disposal of garbage and refuse in the facility’s designated dumpster area. During a kitchen inspection with the Dietary Director, surveyors observed an accumulation of refuse around and behind the trash dumpsters, including a clear bag of trash, miscellaneous trash, yard waste, and a dead bird. The Dietary Director stated that the clear bag of trash contained “medical stuff, swabs, tissue,” and that it looked clinical. Review of the facility’s undated “Refuse and Trash” policy indicated that waste should be disposed of immediately after use, with general waste going into standard trash bins. In subsequent interviews, the Maintenance Director reported that the protocol for maintaining the dumpster area was to inspect it every day, that maintenance staff shared responsibility for the area’s cleanliness, and that someone was designated every morning, but acknowledged that the dumpster area’s condition did not meet his expectations and presented an infection control risk. The Housekeeping Supervisor stated that refuse outside the dumpster area posed a potential risk of contamination and spread of germs if the trash contained something contagious and someone touched it. The Administrator stated that the protocol for the dumpster area was that lids should be closed and the area should be free from rubbish or refuse, that the maintenance team was responsible for its cleanliness, and that the area should look better and be clean. The Administrator also stated that refuse outside the dumpster could bring pests, foul odors, create a less than homelike environment, and present an infection control issue.
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