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Based on observations and interviews, the hospital failed to maintain one walk-in freezer to prevent the accumulation of ice on the floor, surrounding the condenser, on the ceiling of the freezer, on the door gasket and on the racks containing frozen food. This failure had the potential to result in slips and falls from the ice on the floor and improper function of the freezer leading to the potential for unsafe food storage.


Findings:


During an observation of the Dietary Department on 5/14/13 at 9:15 a.m., the walk-in freezer had an excessive accumulation of ice on the floor, surrounding the condenser, on the ceiling of the freezer, on the door gasket and on the racks containing frozen food. In a concurrent interview with Food Service Worker B (FSW B), he verified the observation and said that the maintenance staff was aware that the freezer would accumulate ice occasionally but he had not informed them of this new accumulation of ice.


During an interview on 5/14/13 at 9:25 a.m., Maintenance Staff stated that he was not informed of this accumulation of ice in the walk-in freezer. He stated that when the temperature of the freezer was turned down, ice would build up. He stated that the amount of ice observed was more than what he was used to seeing. He verified that the accumulation of ice indicated that the freezer was not functioning properly and was a safety hazard to the staff walking in the freezer