Failure to Follow Dryer Lint Cleaning Policy and Maintain Safe Laundry Environment
Summary
The facility failed to follow its own laundry safety policy and procedure regarding dryer lint screen cleaning, resulting in an unclean and potentially unsafe environment. During a tour of the laundry room with the Environmental Services (EVS) Supervisor, surveyors observed that the lint compartment for dryer #3 had loose lint on the compartment floor and the lint screen was fully covered with lint. The EVS Supervisor acknowledged that the laundry staff had not cleaned the lint that day, then manually removed the lint from the screen and compartment floor and discarded it. The EVS Supervisor stated that laundry staff clean the lint compartments every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, explaining that the facility launders out most of the laundry and that the on-site dryers are used for rags and a few other items, and that lint is cleaned out for safety and to prevent a fire. Record review showed that the facility’s documentation for dryer lint compartment cleaning, dated over a one‑month period, reflected cleaning only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with no indication of more frequent cleaning. This practice did not align with the facility’s written policy titled “Safety Procedures or Dryers in Laundry Department,” which required lint screens to be cleaned at least every three loads or every two hours, whichever came first, as part of preventative maintenance to maintain safety and prevent motor overheating and damage. Additionally, facility-provided resident rights information stated that the facility must provide a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment and must care for residents in a manner that promotes their quality of life. The failure to adhere to the established lint cleaning schedule and policy had the potential to affect all 139 residents documented as residing in the facility.
Penalty
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