Obstructed Dining Room Emergency Exits Due to Stored Supplies and Clutter
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s failure to maintain a safe, functional, sanitary, and comfortable environment related to two dining room emergency exits. During observation of dining room exit door #1, surveyors noted that the sidewalk area immediately outside the door was obstructed with multiple items, including a cooler on wheels, a bucket and mop, a scrubbing brush, a piece of wood furniture, a grill, two stacked crates, another mop bucket, and a large trash bin on wheels next to the ramp. These items created clutter in the designated exit area. The facility’s own Emergency Preparedness Plan identified evacuation as a prime consideration in any disaster or emergency directly affecting the facility. For dining room exit door #2, surveyors observed that the sidewalk leading to the only ramp accessible from this exit was obstructed by a large pallet of medical supply boxes. The pallet consisted of boxes stacked approximately three across and five high, with additional rows behind, leaving only about one foot of space between the pallet and the edge of the sidewalk where the curb dropped off. Central supply staff reported that medical supplies were now delivered to the back of the facility after a storage shed had been condemned about eight months earlier, and that she received multiple pallets at a time and could not bring all boxes inside in one day. She acknowledged knowing that supplies should not be left outside and recognized that the blocked ramp was a problem. The Maintenance Director confirmed that the supply company placed pallets on the walkway and agreed that the area outside dining room exit door #2 was obstructed. The Administrator confirmed that dining room exit doors #1 and #2 were designated exits, with the ramp mainly used for deliveries, and stated that if the ramp could not be used due to obstruction, residents and staff would use another exit door. The report stated that this deficient practice could place residents at risk of falls, injuries, and confusion during evacuations.
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