All of the 132 employees at a New York nursing home are being laid off due to the facility’s temporary closing. The New York Department of Labor lists the reason for the temporary closing as a break in the facility’s water line.
The facility had to be evacuated twice in December, once on December 19 and again on December 31, due to a sprinkler leak that caused considerable flooding in the building. The residents have all been relocated to other area nursing homes, and it is expected they will have to remain at those facilities for about four months.
Notably, the facility received citations in August from the New York State Department of Health (DOH) for sprinkler violations. A DOH report from that inspection described the sprinkler heads as being coated with debris and secured to the sprinkler pipes with zip-ties.
The DOH report noted the following regarding inspection of a sprinkler system:
“1) Sprinklers shall not show signs of leakage; shall be free of corrosion, foreign materials, and physical damage; and shall be installed in the correct orientation, 2) Sprinkler piping shall not be subjected to external loads by materials either resting on the pipe or hung from the pipe.”
The issues cited by the DOH were to be corrected by October 1, 2019.
Some family members of the residents reported that the facility did not notify them about the evacuations, but the facility claims staff notified all of those persons who were listed as the “primary contact” for their respective residents.
The president denied culpability on the part of the facility for the evacuations and displacement of the residents. He said that the inspection in August that flagged the sprinkler system did not inspect the pipes.
Compliance Perspective
Failure to properly maintain the fire suppression sprinkler system or provide residents with a safe environment, resulting in flooding with multiple evacuations and ultimately relocation of all residents, may be considered provision of substandard quality of care, in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures regarding maintenance of the facility’s sprinkler system to prevent corrosion, leakage, potential flooding, and the risk associated with evacuation of the residents.
- Train maintenance personnel on the requirements for scheduling regular inspections, testing, and upkeep of the facility’s sprinkler system.
- Periodically audit to determine if regular inspections and maintenance of the facility’s sprinkler system are occurring.
