With effect from 30 July 2021, the new environmental sanitation regime will be progressively rolled out to higher-risk premises with immuno-vulnerable occupants and premises with high footfall. These premises include eldercare, youth and social service facilities, preschools, schools, food centres and markets, and coffeeshops. This staggered roll-out provides premises owners and operators more time to prepare for the new routine and thorough periodic cleaning and disinfection workflow, and to send their staff for the required two-day Environmental Control Coordinator (ECC) training. To date, about 350 appointed ECCs have been trained for the coming regime, largely for the eldercare, youth and social service facilities (refer to ANNEX A for implementation timeline for the specified premises).

The environmental sanitation regime introduces mandatory baseline standards for specified higher-risk premises, and places greater responsibility on the premises managers to ensure that the standards are met. More than 3,000 specified premises are expected to implement the regime by 1 March 2022. The regime will require premises managers to put in place an environmental sanitation programme and have overall responsibility for the cleanliness of their premises. Premises managers are to appoint registered ECCs, who will assist in developing, reviewing and monitoring the implementation of the programme (refer to ANNEX B for information on baseline requirements of an environmental sanitation programme).

To ensure sufficient training capacity for ECCs, there are currently four [1] SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) approved training providers able to conduct the ECC training [2]. ECCs will be trained to develop the environmental sanitation programme and to assist the premises managers with the implementation of the programme (refer to ANNEX C for examples of staff who could take up the role as ECCs). Premises managers are reminded that all appointed ECCs must be registered with NEA after attending and passing the ECC training.

Sector-specific standards have been finalised and conveyed to the respective sectoral leads and premises managers, whose premises will come under the regime on 30 July 2021. Multiple engagement sessions have been conducted with managers/ owners/ operators of the specified premises. NEA will adopt an advisory approach for the first six months of implementation to allow the sectors to ease into the new regime.

Ms Carol Chua, Director, Service Management and Resource Division, Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said, “Cleaning and disinfection are critical to providing a safe environment for users of our care services. The environmental sanitation regime sets out clear guidance in aspects such as the minimum cleaning frequency and scope, which will help ensure that our premises are properly cleaned and disinfected at all times. The regime is part of our on-going efforts to ensure good care and protection for our more vulnerable service users.”

Ms Bernadette Alexander, Director, Regulations and Standards, Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said, “All preschools are required to maintain high standards of personal hygiene and environmental sanitation as part of regulatory requirements. This is important to safeguard the health and wellbeing of preschool children and staff, and even more so now, with COVID-19. Since 2019, NEA, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and ECDA have been working closely with preschools to strengthen measures on food safety, personal and environmental hygiene practices in preschools. This new environmental sanitation regime will build on existing efforts and hygiene measures in the preschools to ensure higher standards.”

Towards a National Culture of Keeping Singapore Clean

The experience of COVID-19 reinforces the need for us to put in place good systems to ensure that we remain resilient to public health threats. Improving cleanliness and hygiene standards upstream can protect occupants and staff from public health risks. It can also minimise downstream costs resulting from environmental lapses, which could lead to closure of premises, reputational damage, and additional expenses incurred from extensive cleaning and disinfection works. A cleaner environment could lead to increased business, due to greater consumer confidence, as consumers become increasingly aware of the importance of cleanliness and hygiene amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

To cope with the anticipated increase in demand for cleaning and disinfection services, NEA is working with the cleaning industry to attract more locals to join the environmental services industry through various upskilling initiatives and programmes, and encouraging greater adoption of technology by licensed cleaning businesses. We will continue to partner key stakeholders and premises owners and operators to collectively uplift and maintain higher standards of cleanliness and hygiene, and to better protect the health of our population.