Four people were hospitalized, and 70 residents were displaced from a Massachusetts nursing home March 15, 2023, after high levels of carbon monoxide were detected throughout the building. Around 7:36 a.m., firefighters responded to a report of a carbon monoxide leak at the nursing home. After arriving at the facility, they found multiple carbon monoxide alarms blaring. First responders checked air quality throughout the building and found highly elevated levels of carbon monoxide in the basement of the north building.
Firefighters coordinated with staff and began evacuating residents out of the building. A total of 70 residents were temporarily relocated to another nursing facility. Two nursing home contractors and two residents of the facility were taken to a local hospital for precautionary treatment following the leak.
In a similar event, multiple natural gas leaks at a Wyoming nursing home on March 18 led to a mass evacuation of around 100 residents. Emergency responders and firefighters responded to a carbon monoxide alarm at the nursing home, where they found high levels of carbon monoxide inside the building. Further investigation revealed multiple natural gas leaks occurring. The gas company and maintenance personnel worked throughout the day to try to remedy the building systems to a workable state without success, leading to the evacuation of around 100 residents to both local and out-of-state facilities.
Compliance Perspective
Issue
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas. It is produced any time a fossil fuel is burned and can cause sudden illness and death. People with physical conditions that limit their body’s ability to use oxygen (i.e. emphysema, asthma, heart disease) can be more severely affected by lower concentrations of CO than healthy adults would be. People can be poisoned by a small amount of CO over a longer period of time or by a large amount of CO over a shorter amount of time. Facilities must be prepared to meet the needs of residents during disasters and emergency situations, coordinate with external emergency preparedness systems, and ensure their emergency preparedness program is aligned with state and local emergency and pandemic plans.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures regarding the facility’s maintenance program for preventing the escape of carbon monoxide from any system or equipment, to include placing carbon monoxide alarms strategically throughout the nursing home. Ensure the facility’s all-hazards emergency response plan is current and clearly details required staff response when any threat is discovered.
- Train maintenance staff about the importance of regular inspection and monitoring of any system or equipment used in the facility that could produce carbon monoxide. Train staff in the facility’s response plan for dealing with emergencies. Ensure that all staff participate in periodic drills so they are prepared to respond rapidly to protect and safely evacuate the residents should an emergency occur.
- Periodically audit to determine if regular inspection and maintenance occur regarding potential carbon monoxide leaks, and if staff are participating in periodic drills for a variety of potential disasters and for safely evacuating residents.
*This news alert has been prepared by Med-Net Concepts, LLC for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.*
