Chris Lowrey
SHAWVILLE Feb. 19, 2018
Inspectors from the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) were at the Shawville Hospital on Feb. 19 to investigate complaints about poor food-handling practices.
The MAPAQ investigation found that certain foods were not being kept at the proper temperature.
Staff also complained that the food being shipped to the hospital was transported in a truck that was also carrying construction materials.
The kitchen at the hospital is currently being renovated as a result of a decision by Centre intégré de santé et des services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO), to amalgamate kitchens in the region.
Previously, each healthcare facility in the region had its own kitchen. But after the amalgamation, all food served at healthcare facilities in the Pontiac will be prepared at the hospital and shipped out.
Since the decision to amalgamate the kitchens, the recent renovations at the Shawville Hospital kitchen have forced staff to adapt their routines.
All food that needs to be frozen or refrigerated is stored outside in a refrigerated trailer.
Although the food for the hospital is currently being prepared at the Shawville CSHLD just next door, staff were still concerned about the fact that food was being transported with construction materials.
According to the Vice President of the health and social services union Michelle Bourgoin, the food was prepared at the CSHLD, was shipped to the hospital in a trailer containing construction materials and then transferred to the refrigeration truck currently being used to keep the food cold while renovations take place.
But CISSSO food coordinator Lyne Talbot said that the food was kept in air-tight coolers which prevented any kind of contamination.
Talbot said the truck driver was waiting on his new trailer and was forced to put the food in with the construction materials.
“He took [the food] in the trailer but we didn’t know that at the time,” Talbot said. “But he always cleaned it before he went and got the food.”
Talbot added that the truck was carrying wood for the renovations in the kitchen.
MAPAQ investigators found that the filling for some sandwiches was not at the right temperature.
Additionally, the food in the vending machines that are stocked for night crews was also stored at a temperature that was too warm.
Talbot also said that MAPAQ found that kitchen staff were not performing proper hand washing practices when returning to the kitchen.
The refrigerated trailer was also found by MAPAQ to be too warm. But on subsequent tests, the temperature was in the appropriate range.
“We checked the temperature and it was at four degrees,” Talbot said. “But by the time [MAPAQ] came, because the door wasn’t closed it was at six degrees. But we took [the [temperature] a few times after that and it was okay.”
Talbot said that staff have to check the temperatures of the freezer and refrigerator twice per day and that staff have been reminded of this. She also said that CISSSO representatives had a meeting with the employees to go over kitchen practices.
Talbot said that the staff were receptive and that most employees comply with the regulations.
“They understand that they had made a mistake,” Talbot said.
