SINGAPORE: A set of guidelines for high-risk premises such as pre-schools and hawker centres will be released to help owners prepare for the upcoming environmental sanitation regime which will take effect later this year, it was announced on Thursday (Mar 4).
The technical guide, which will be available on the National Environment Agency (NEA) website, details the national baseline guidelines for improving environmental sanitation in such premises, said NEA and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) in a press release.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThis will provide owners with information on what to do and look out for when performing their routine and periodic cleaning and disinfection, as well as dealing with incidents involving bodily fluids or discharge, said the release.
This includes previously stated guidelines such as minimum daily cleaning frequencies for toilets, lifts, bin centres and high-touch surfaces, as well as a pest management plan.
[h=3]READ: Mandatory cleaning standards to be introduced, starting with childcare centres, schools and hawker centres[/h]“This set of national baseline guidelines will serve as a reference document for sectoral leads to customise sector-specific environmental sanitation standards, which are mandatory for specified premises under the environmental sanitation regime,” said NEA and MSE.
AdvertisementAdvertisementNEA and sectoral leads are in the process of developing and consulting with industry partners on the sector specific standards which will be rolled out progressively in mid-2021.
In her speech at MSE's Committee of Supply (COS) session in Parliament on Thursday, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor said that the environmental sanitation regime will be implemented “as planned".
“The ES (environmental sanitation) technical committee has completed the technical guide which sets out the national baseline ES guidelines like daily cleaning frequencies for high-touch surfaces and toilets, and prescribed periodic cleaning for hard-to-reach areas,” added Dr Khor.
“The guide can be customised to develop sector-specific ES standards, such as for eldercare facilities, which will be ready from mid-2021.”
AdvertisementThis comes after the Environmental Public Health Amendment Bill was passed last October, paving the way for baseline environmental sanitation standards to be mandated in premises such as pre-schools, eldercare facilities and hawker centres from mid-2021.
The mandatory cleaning standards were first introduced during the COS debates in March last year.
TRAINING FOR COORDINATORS
The environmental sanitation regime will be implemented progressively, beginning with the first tranche of more than 2,000 higher risk premises at pre-schools, schools, youth facilities and eldercare facilities from July this year.
[h=3]READ: 'We still have some way to go': MPs emphasise individual responsibility in maintaining public hygiene standards[/h]This will be followed by hawker centres, and coffee shops, targeted to be completed by March next year.
This staggered roll-out will provide premises owners more time to prepare for the new “cleaning workflow”, as well as send their staff for Environmental Control Coordinator training, said NEA and MSE.
Environmental Control Coordinator training will be made available from this month and conducted by SkillsFuture Singapore accredited training providers.
Under the regime, premises managers will be required to implement an environmental sanitation programme and be responsible for the cleanliness of their premises. They will be required to appoint Environmental Control Coordinators, who will assist them in developing and implementing the programme.
To be registered as an Environmental Control Coordinator with NEA, individuals will be required to attend and pass a training course. The training will provide Environmental Control Coordinators with the skills in planning and implementing a “full array” of environmental measures, including cleaning and disinfection, said NEA and MSE.
More than 2,000 Environmental Control Coordinators are expected to be trained from this month.
“The experience of COVID-19 reinforces the need for us to put in place good systems to ensure that we can emerge stronger together and remain resilient to public health threats,” said NEA and MSE.
“Improving cleanliness and hygiene standards upstream can protect occupants and staff from public health risks, and minimise downstream business costs resulting from environmental lapses, such as closure of premises, large cleaning and disinfection bill, or impact from reputational damage.”
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